German Butterball Selection B

Description
Tuber Shape Oval
Eyes Very shallow evenly distributed eyes
Skin Slight flakey yellow
Flesh Deep Yellow
Plant Large prostrate vine with few white flowers
German Butterball Selection B is an late, medium-maturing, fresh market yellow flesh potato.

Plant/roots This cultivar is fast emerging with a medium vine and white flower. German Butterball has a indeterminate growth habit, late maturing, and a large extensive root system. Standard German Butterballs have a high set of tubers that can make good size a problem. Selection B has averaged around 10 tubers/hill which is half of the normal 20 for standard german butterball sets. Thus selection B can have much better tuber size earlier.

Tubers are yellow fleshed, oval and smooth to slightly flaky with a yellow skin color; eyes are shallow and well distributed; medium specific gravity..

Yields potential 400 to 500 cwt. range..

GROWING SEASON MANAGEMENT

Pre-planting considerations Tubers have a medium dormancy; either single drop or cut seed is acceptable. When using cut seed, be aware of the potential for serious seed piece decay caused by Erwinia bacteria. Adequate warming of seed prior to planting is recommended to obtain uniform emergence. Normal seed spacing of around 12" may help optimize yield and tuber size as plants can set heavy, though selection B seams to perform better with a manageable set. Plant seed 4 inches deep with a good hill cover. Since German Butterball has a relatively even growth rate and long maturity, plant early for the best yield potential.

Fertility (soil test basis; lbs/acre)

Apply total fertilizer in the following range: N(l20-150#), P(120-200#), K(O-60#). Performance in alkaline soils is good. Pre-plant incorporated N should be from 60 to 80#. Early season N applications adversely affect the timing of tuberization. The plants grow evenly with prostrate vines. Sprinkler or side dress applied N should be in the 40 to 70# range at a rate of 20# per application. The plants rangey root system aids the plants in foraging well for soil nutrogen so careful to not overfertilize.

Irrigation

Irrigation interval at the maximum ET is 3 days. Drought tolerance is good with its extensive root system. Water use is fairly steady during vine maturation, so late season overwatering and potential tuber decay caused by Pythium and Phytophthora is moderate.

Pest control

Weeds Competition against weeds is good. German Butterball is tolerant to metribuzin and post emerge applications of Dual.

Insects: Standard insect control measures generally are effective.

Fungicides Control of foliar early blight usually requires two to six fungicide applications.

Tuber/bulking Tuber set is often high small tubers at harvest can result. Selection B has had 1/2 the set size and bigger tuber size. Tuberization occurs early thoughout the hill and tubers bulk at a even rate late in the season. Tubers are resistant to second growth and moderately resistant to hollow heart, growth cracks and blackspot.

Vine kill Average days from planting to vine kill are 100 to 120. Vine killing is required in most years; can be easily accomplished once mature. Adequate skin set occurs within 18 to 26 days.

STORAGE MANAGEMENT

German Butterball stores well as long as they are cured well with few problems and sprouting is minimal.

DISEASE REACTION

Overall disease problems are minimal. Bacterial ring rot foliar symptom expression is moderate. Erwinia caused bacterial soft rot can be a problem in storage if foliage blackleg incidence is high.

Field Storage
Foliar early blight: Susceptible Tuber early blight Moderate
Verticillium wilt: Resistant Bacterial soft rot Susceptible
Blackleg Susceptible Fusarium dry rot Resistant
Seedpiece decay Moderately Resistant Leak (Pythium) Moderately Resistant
Leafroll virus Moderately Resistant Pink rot (Phytophthora) Moderately Resistant
Leafroll Net necrosis Moderately Resistant Silver scurf Moderately Resistant
PVY, PVX Susceptible Rhizoctonia scurf Moderate
Bacterial ring rot Moderate
Common Scab Moderately Resistant


Disease reaction ratings susceptible, moderately susceptible, moderate, moderately resistant andresistant.

Note: This information should only be used as a guide. Adjustments for local conditions must always be made.