THE POTATO VARIETY SMAK

Present-day crop production includes cultivation of varieties and hybrids. All that is the products of breeding - the branch of agricultural production. The process of potato breeding is the process of creation of new varieties the best to meet the needs of consumer. The potato breeding involves more than 40 characteristics ranging from the shape of the tuber, color of the peel, and ending with resistance to various diseases and suitability for industrial procession. Varieties differ from each other in precocity, taste, appearance, their resistance to diseases and long-term storage ability. Taking into account the qualities of potato appreciated by consumers most of all, we try to create the varieties which meet most fully the demands of buyers. This stage of work lasts 12-13 years. Research location: Federal Scientific Center of Agrobiotechnology in the Far East named after A. K. Chaika. Name of the newly created variety: Smak (created after many years of the researches carried out into breeding). Method of hybridization: varietal hybridization with subsequent selection and assessment carried out according to the standard scheme of the breeding process. The starting point in the development of the variety Smak: selection and crossing of the parent pair Petersburgsky x Shurminsky in year 2002. We pollinated 48 flowers which produced 48 berries, which gave 4598 pieces of seeds. The seed generation of this combination was grown in a film-gauze greenhouse. The study of seedlings from tuberous reproductions and testing of hybrids were carried out in the field. This work resulted in creation of Smak middle-late variety of potato having average yield 30.8 t/ha, starch content 15.6%, good taste, yellow pulp; without darkening in raw and boiled form; having field resistance to viral diseases, medium resistance to late blight and blackspot, resistance to cancer (Dalemsky pathotype). The variety has been presented to the State Commission of the Russian Federation for Testing and Protection of Breeding Achievements. In year 2016 new Smak variety has been entered in the State Register of Breeding Achievements admitted to use, and in the State Register of Protected Breeding Achievements (patent No. 8203 of 13.01.2016). The potato variety Smak is recommended for cultivation in the Far-Eastern region.