The early-ripening Impala variety is of high value both for amateur gardeners and for owners of large-scale farms engaged in potato cultivation. We will talk more about the features, advantages, growing technology and measures of protection against all kinds of diseases and pests in the next article.
Grade history
The origin of the Impala variety began in a Dutch administrative center called Emmelord. Employees of the international company Agrico, which since 1973 has been widely known throughout the world for its innovative developments in the field of potato growing, have obtained this variety of potatoes by breeding.
In 1992, according to the results of varietal tests, Impala was included in the State Register of Plants of the Russian Federation. In 2000, it was introduced to the State Registers of Ukraine and the Republic of Belarus. In the Russian Federation, cultivation of the Impala potato variety is limited to four regions, such as:
- Volgo-Vyatka (Kirov, Nizhny Novgorod and Sverdlovsk regions; Mari El Republic; Perm Territory; Udmurtia and Chuvash Republics).
- Lower Volga (Astrakhan, Saratov and Volgograd regions; Republic of Kalmykia).
- Northwestern (Vologda, Kaliningrad, Kostroma, Leningrad, Novgorod, Pskov, Tver and Yaroslavl regions).
- Central (Bryansk, Vladimir, Ivanovo, Kaluga, Moscow, Ryazan, Smolensk and Tula regions).
However, despite this, the Impala variety was widely distributed throughout the Russian Federation. In certain regions of the Russian Federation and Ukraine, he was given simpler and more familiar names - Kubanka or Krymchanka.
Description of Potato Impala
Bushes. The height of the potato bush reaches 75-80 cm. The plants are erect, with 4-5 well-leafy stems on each bush. The leaves are medium in size, fairly dense and painted in rich green. On the edge of the sheet you can observe a slight undulation. The flowers grow white with a small middle in yellow.
Roots. As a rule, about 15 tubers are formed on each bush. Root crops are large, have an oval, and sometimes round oval shape. The bulk of the tubers are harvested until August. Their weight averages 90-160 grams. The rind is yellowish, characterized by smoothness, as well as ease of cleaning, due to its loose structure. The number of eyes is moderate. They are very small and lie shallow, on the surface of the peel. The pulp is light yellow, creamy.
Characteristics and features of the variety
Consider the features and main characteristics of Impala potatoes by the following criteria:
- Ripening speed. This is an early variety of potatoes. The first crop will be available for collection 45 days after planting. Depending on the climatic zone, full maturation occurs on 60-70 days.
- Weather resistance. The Impala variety tolerates both dry weather and high humidity conditions. Due to this property, it is widely distributed in various regions.
- Resistance to mechanical damage. High resistance of root crops to mechanical damage allows you to fully maintain their original appearance after harvest.
- Demanding for the soil. Potatoes of this variety are characterized by unpretentiousness to the variety of soil, however, as practice shows, the best result can be achieved when grown in unprotected soil.
- Keeping quality. Suitable for both use and storage for a long period of time. With prolonged storage, it retains its properties and presentation well.
- Disease resistance. Impala is resistant to most viruses and diseases, often affecting other varieties of potatoes. This property is due to the fact that early ripening makes it possible to avoid many potato ailments that are actively developing with the advent of autumn. The table shows the main diseases and the degree of resistance to them of this variety:
High stability | Medium stability | Low stability |
Golden Potato Nematode | Common scab | Rhizoctonia |
Potato cancer | Tuberculosis of tubers and tops | Powdery scab |
Viruses A and Yn |
Productivity and taste
Potato Impala has not only high, but also stable productivity. From a hectare of land per season, farmers collect from 180 to 360 centners of root crops. Amateur gardeners from one bush receive a crop of at least 0.5 kg at early ripening, and from 1 to 2 kg of already ripened potatoes.
In the southern regions, two crops can ripen in one year. For this purpose, the bushes are carefully removed from the soil, tubers are removed, the hole is plentifully watered and the bush with small remaining tubers is planted back into it. The main condition is the implementation of these actions in cloudy weather.
The table variety has a rather low starch content (10-14%). After heat treatment, the potato becomes moderately soft, but it does not boil and does not darken. In this regard, it is perfect for use in any form (boiled, baked, fried). Due to the excellent tasting properties, Impala potatoes can be used for cooking both first and second courses, and for salads.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The main indisputable advantages of Impala potatoes include:
- precocity
- consistently high productivity;
- drought and moisture resistance;
- high transportability and keeping quality;
- resistance to mechanical damage;
- excellent taste of root vegetables;
- unpretentiousness to landing soil;
- universality in the methods of preparation and heat treatment;
- attractive presentation;
- compact arrangement of tubers on the bushes, which allows you to quickly and with the least efforts to collect root crops;
- high resistance to major diseases.
Among disadvantages varieties note the following:
- susceptible to damage from the Colorado potato beetle, therefore, requires additional treatment from pests;
- seeds are not available in all regions;
- preventive measures must be taken to protect against fungal diseases.
Features of planting and growing potatoes Impala
In order to obtain the highest possible result from the cultivation of this variety, you should familiarize yourself with the necessary agricultural measures.
Optimal timing and location choice
Experts recommend potato planting in late April - early May. During this period, the soil already has time to warm up to the required temperature, and humidity is still maintained at a sufficient level. Planting should be done after the end of return frosts. To get two crops per season, in the southern regions of the Russian Federation, the Impala variety is planted in late February - early March under spanbond.
A key rule in potato cultivation is crop rotation.
Favorable for planting are considered sites on which winter, legumes and perennial grasses had previously grown. Planting after crops belonging to the nightshade family (for example, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant) is unacceptable. It is also strictly forbidden to grow potatoes in one place for several years in a row. It is recommended to grow on light and medium, not too waterlogged soils.
Landing preparation
For planting the Impala variety, however, as for any other, it is very important that the soil is fertile and loose. To get the best yield, enrich the earth with nutrients.
Impala responds well to mineral fertilizers. The introduction of a moderate amount of nitrogen into the soil in the fall is not superfluous, and in the spring during the planting of tubers, wood ash should be added as a good antiseptic of tubers and potash fertilizer.
Tuber preparation
Germination is recommended to start in the second decade of March. Tubers of medium size (up to 5 cm) and weighing 50-80 g, on which many eyes are present, are used as seed material. Tubers of larger diameter should be divided so that in each half there remains a piece of pulp and a stocky sprout.
A prerequisite is the selection of only healthy tubers, without rot, deformation and signs of any disease. In order to increase the number of eyes, it is recommended to perform banding - a transverse incision is made at the top of the tuber in a circle.
Then the seed potatoes are placed in a bright place in a box for further germination. The first few days in the room it is necessary to withstand the temperature + 18 ... + 25 ° C, then it is reduced to the level of + 12 ... + 15 ° C and maintained on an ongoing basis for another 30 days. Additionally, they also increase the level of illumination. Once every few days, potato tubers must be sprayed with water to maintain high humidity.
Planting material does not need to be preheated and germinated, however, in this case, the ripening period is increased.
Seed potatoes that have not sprouted or rotted should be controlled and screened.
To prevent the occurrence of possible diseases and, as a consequence, to ensure a higher yield, the seed should be treated with such available means as potassium permanganate, boric acid or wood ash. When the tubers completely germinate, they are placed in a special solution for 30-40 minutes. After this, seed tubers must be ventilated.
Options for preparing a solution for 10 liters of water can be as follows:
- 1 g of potassium permanganate;
- 10 g of copper sulfate and zinc sulfate;
- 50 g of boric acid.
The solution is forbidden to cook in a metal bowl.
Chemical treatment is widely used, but it must be borne in mind that it has a rather harmful effect on the crop.
Another simple and inexpensive method of disinfecting and enriching tubers with nutrients is to dust them with wood ash. To do this, before planting, in each dug hole, 2 tablespoons of wood ash should be placed.
Landing, scheme and depth of landing
When planting tubers, the basic rules should be followed:
- The depth of the hole is not more than 6-8 cm.
- 200 g of wood ash is added to each well.
- The tubers are sprouted up.
- The height of the soil ridge buried above the tubers should be 8-10 cm.
- Furrows are preferable to be located from north to south, so a sufficient amount of sunlight will enter the bed. This contributes to an increase in overall productivity, as well as an increase in the content of the mass fraction of starch in potatoes.
An example planting plan for seed potatoes is shown below:
In soil warmed up to + 22 ... + 25 ° С, the first sprouts will appear in two weeks. At higher soil temperatures, crop growth slows down.
After the first seedlings appeared, it is necessary to carry out the earthing up of planted potatoes and to top dress.
Fertilizer application
To get the maximum yield, it is very important to feed the soil. Considering many years of experience, a mixture of 700 g of humus with 5 tablespoons of wood ash has worked well. It is placed in each well. Among mineral fertilizers, it should be noted such as potato kemira (20 g) and nitrophoska (1 tbsp. L.). To avoid damage to potato tubers, fertilizer should be applied only after watering.
Care
The main requirements are watering, weeding, cultivating and hilling.
In arid conditions, watering is carried out three times per season (a month after planting, during flowering and 14 days after it). Water consumption should average 40 liters per 1 sq. Km. m
Loosening the soil and weeding the rows is performed simultaneously after each irrigation or precipitation.
Hilling is carried out when the bushes reach a height of 20 cm, which helps strengthen the root system.
The correct implementation of these agrotechnical measures allows a quarter to increase productivity.
Protection against diseases and pests
In order to minimize the risk of damage to potato by characteristic diseases and pest invasion to a minimum, a number of preventive measures are necessary. For example, to combat late blight, treatment with Fitosporin is recommended.
In order to protect the plant from the Colorado potato beetle and wireworm, Actellik, Corado and Aktara are used. Onion peel is also an effective folk remedy. You can get rid of the nutcracker using the drug Bazudin, and Medvetox from the bear.
For more information on potato pests and methods of controlling them, read here.
Harvesting and storage
40-60 days after the germination of the first sprouts, you can harvest. It is not recommended to do this before the due date, as the potatoes will have a peculiar, not quite pleasant taste.
To determine whether the tubers are fully ripened, you can using the following methods:
- Count three weeks from the flowering period. This method is not entirely accurate due to possible differences in climatic conditions.
- Dig one bush and assess the condition of the tubers.
- Pay attention to the general condition of the bush. If the lower leaves began to turn yellow, and the branches fall to the ground, you can safely proceed to the harvest.
After collecting the potatoes, they must be dried in a well-ventilated, dry place. It is necessary to protect the crop from direct sunlight, this can lead to its unsuitability, because root crops will turn green.
It is recommended to store potatoes in one layer in a ventilated room. From time to time, the condition of the tubers is checked. In the case when the fruits are planned to be prepared as seeds for planting, on the contrary, they should be placed in the sun and allowed to turn green. The implementation of these measures helps to reduce starch and increase the content of sugar and acid.
What crop is obtained by planting Impala potatoes can clearly be seen in the following video:
Reviews
Neonila Petrovna, 52 years old. I regularly plant this variety on my own plot. I like that the tubers grow even and beautiful. Well suited for both cooking and frying. It does not turn into porridge. Very satisfied. I now advise it to all my friends.
Dmitry, 35 years old. Bribes early maturity of the Impala and ease of care. Thanks to the simple and inexpensive treatment of tubers with a solution of potassium permanganate, I harvest a plentiful, not affected by disease. Potato tolerates transportation well and does not lose its presentation after a long storage. Since I grow it for sale, for me, these qualities are fundamental when choosing a variety.
Ivan Nikolaevich, 63 years old. Planted a variety of Impala in the country on the recommendation of its neighbors. And did not lose. The potato grows large, one to one. It turns out very tasty during cooking and does not over-boil. And, which is very important to me, it does not require specific care and quickly matures.
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Potato variety Impala has become widespread due to its excellent taste, high yield and low maintenance. Performing simple recommendations, you can get not only a generous harvest, but also provide yourself with planting material for the next season.