Vineta potatoes care how to grow

Breeders have bred many varieties of potatoes, but not all of them have such advantages as Vineta – the result of many years of hard work of the specialists of the German company Europlant. This early maturing table variety is a real boon for potato growers, especially in regions with a difficult climate. It easily tolerates prolonged droughts, therefore it has become the most popular in South and Central Asia. In our country it is approved for cultivation in many regions, it has been listed in the State Register since 2002. In addition to its high drought resistance, Vineta boasts excellent taste, as well as the ability to carry transportation over long distances. The German potato has other advantages, which will be discussed below.

Characteristics of a variety

The Vineta potato bush is a tall, spreading plant with a straight central stem up to 70 cm high. The leaves are medium in size, light green, with a slight waviness along the edge of the plate. The flowers are white, small. The tubers have an oval-rounded shape, covered with a rough (reticulated) yellow rind. The shade of the peel can be different, from light yellow to dark yellow, depending on the growing conditions. The eyes are few, so small that they can be overlooked. The pulp is also yellow, dense in structure. The starch content in it ranges from 13 to 15%. The growing season of Vineta potatoes is 60-75 days, tasty young potatoes can be poured in within a month and a half after planting. That is, in the second half of June, if weather conditions allowed landing in early May. The formation of tubers is amicable, one plant produces up to 12 medium potatoes weighing 65-100 g. The total yield depends on the timing. So, when digging on the 45th day from the day of planting, this figure is 125-160 c / ha, on the 55th – 160-220 c / ha, the recorded maximum yield is 238 c / ha. The yield of marketable tubers is 97%. Due to the dense structure of the pulp and sufficiently strong peel, these potatoes are practically not subject to mechanical damage during transportation. It is also well stored, when stored under proper conditions, 87% of the harvested crop is preserved until spring.In terms of taste, Vineta potatoes are classified as type B (EAPR classification), which indicates its culinary versatility. The pulp is moderately watery, slightly mealy, hardly boiled. During heat treatment, it retains its original color, so the dishes look attractive and appetizing. Such potatoes are suitable for preparing a variety of dishes, from mashed potatoes to chips. The taste is just great. Some chefs claim that Vineta has a special aroma, which, in combination with a pleasant yellow color, makes it unsurpassed.

Peculiarities of growing

Vineta grows best in well-lit, but sheltered from the winds areas. The variety is absolutely undemanding to the composition of the soil, climatic conditions also do not prevent it from giving consistently high yields. With regard to planting this potato, experts recommend the following: calibrate the seed, select tubers weighing 40-80 g; germinate the planting tubers, treat with fungicides and growth stimulants before planting; plant at a soil temperature of at least 7 degrees according to the 30 x 75 scheme to a depth of 10 cm ; adhere to a planting density of 45-47 thousand plants per 1 ha (450-470 per hundred square meters). Legumes and pumpkin crops are considered good predecessors for this potato. The plot for it has been plowed (dug up) since the fall with the introduction of organic matter. In the spring, it is advisable to apply phosphorus fertilizers to the soil at the rate of 10 kg per hundred square meters. During the growing season, Vineta potatoes do not require any special attention to themselves, it is enough to carry out basic agrotechnical measures. These include: loosening the soil and removing weeds (before the first shoots appear); weeding (if necessary); hilling (the first time – when the shoots just appear on the surface, the second – when the plant height is 15 cm); watering (it will not interfere in arid periods, but you can do without it); top dressing (at the stage of active growth of tops, during flowering); preventive treatments to protect against diseases and pests. Loosening the soil, weeding, hilling and watering significantly increase the yield of the Vineta variety. If the site is large, and it is not possible to handle it manually, gardeners use small-scale mechanization tools – walk-behind tractors and attached implements to them. It is advisable to feed the plants with liquid fertilizers after rain (watering), since application on dry soil often leads to root burns.

Diseases and pests

The variety has good immunity to most pathogens of crop diseases, including potato crayfish, golden nematode, wrinkled mosaic, and leaf curling. But late blight, which mainly affects the tops of Vineta, can cause a significant decrease in yield. It is very difficult to cope with this disease, so it is better not to allow it. To prevent late blight at the initial stage of the growing season (with a height of 15-20 cm bushes), plantings are sprayed with Ridomil Gold, Acrobat and other effective fungicides. Another enemy that poses a serious danger to Vineta’s potatoes is the gluttonous Colorado potato beetle. Its larvae are able to eat the foliage on young bushes in just a few days. Another problem is that the pest quickly adapts to the drugs designed to destroy it. If you use the same remedy from year to year, already for 3-4 seasons the beetle will develop immunity to it. Today, potato growers fight this insect and its larvae with the help of modern strong insectoacaricides, such as Actellik, Decis, Phosbecid. Vineta potatoes are usually harvested in July, choosing suitable weather for harvesting. The dug tubers are dried in the shade, sorted out and sent to a prepared storage. It is advisable to store in nets or boxes so that air is available to the tubers.

In conclusion

The variety is able to satisfy the needs of both a summer resident and a large farmer. It has a lot of advantages, from high yield to excellent taste, so its popularity today is well deserved. On the territory of Russia, many agricultural enterprises of the Omsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Tula, Kaliningrad and other regions are engaged in the cultivation of a German potato called Vineta. For example, the potato growers of the SEC “Dubensky” (Nizhny Novgorod region) do not plan to give up this variety yet, it is more than satisfied with it.

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Anna Evans

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