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Potato varieties of Dutch selection are very popular among vegetable growers. Among the early ripening species, it is worth highlighting the Latona potato.
Potatoes with very high quality characteristics, so it is worth dwelling in more detail on its properties.
History of origin
The originator of the variety is HZPC-Holland. Breeders bred it in the middle of the 1996th century, and in XNUMX Latona was included in the State Register of Our Country. Scientists recommend a variety of potatoes for growing in the central zone of the Federation, as well as in Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine.
Description and characteristics
The main characteristics of Latona, which potato growers pay attention to, are the ripening period and the yield of the variety. However, other parameters are also important for proper crop cultivation.
Characterization | Description |
The purpose of the variety “Latona” | Canteen. The presentation retains 96% of the crop. |
Maturation period | Early. Harvest 75 days after planting. The first digging can be carried out after 45 days. |
Bush appearance | Tall, erect, curvaceous. The foliage of the stems is good, so the variety does not suffer from drying out of the soil. |
Flowers | Corollas are white, the number of flowers per bush is average. There may be a lack of flowers, which does not affect the yield. |
Leaves | The leaves are dark green, large. The tops are lush and dense, this characteristic makes it possible to moderately water the bushes. |
Tubers | Round-oval shape, even. The peel is yellow, the flesh is light yellow. The peel is tender, easily separated, subject to timely harvest. Tubers overexposed in the ground are distinguished by a rough skin. The weight of one fruit ranges from 90 to 140 grams. Quantity in the bush – 15 pieces. |
Productivity | From one bush 2,5 kg. When grown in the fields is 45 kg / ha. |
Resistance to diseases and pests of the crop | Potato “Latona” is not affected by late blight of tubers, cancer, dry rot and does not suffer from lesions of the golden potato nematode. |
Advantages and disadvantages
The pros and cons of Latona potatoes are well covered in the reviews of vegetable growers. Based on the experience of potato growers, a visual table can be compiled.
Advantages | Disadvantages |
Resistance of potatoes to mechanical damage, ability to mechanical planting, maintenance and harvesting. | The variety is affected by scab. |
Short growing season. | With untimely harvesting, the peel on the tubers becomes very rough. |
Ability for long-term transportation. |
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Good tuber growth throughout the season due to the gradual death of the tops. |
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Resistance of the variety “Latona” to weather changes |
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A high degree of keeping quality, the yield during storage is preserved by 97%. |
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Landing
To get a high yield, Latona potatoes are planted taking into account the requirements of crop rotation. The variety grows well after cabbage, legumes, root vegetables and pumpkin. But tomatoes or peppers are undesirable predecessors.
There are three main ways to plant potatoes:
- trench;
- ridge;
- smooth.
All three are equally well suited for the Latona variety. How to plant Latona, gardeners choose depending on the climate and soil composition.
- The trench method consists in digging trenches, into which prepared potato tubers are then laid out. The depth of each trench is 15 cm, and the distance between adjacent trenches is 70 cm. Seed potatoes are placed at a distance of 35-40 cm from each other, then sprinkled with soil. The method is ideal for sandy light soil in which moisture does not linger and for regions with a warm climate.
- The smooth planting method is best known to amateur potato growers. In this case, a layer of earth rises, potatoes are laid with sprouts up and sprinkled with soil. This solution is suitable for areas where there is no stagnant water and good lighting. Between the tubers “Latona” maintain a distance of 70 cm, planted in a checkerboard pattern in two lines. Planting depth – 10 cm.
- The ridge planting option is chosen for heavy soil with excess moisture. The earth is raised to a height of 15 cm in the form of a mound. The optimal distance between the ridges is 70 cm, between the potato bushes 30 cm.
Be sure to carry out preplant preparation of tubers – germination, treatment from pests and diseases. For processing, gardeners use drugs such as Albit or Maxim. The tool is used according to the instructions.
If such a danger exists, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of draining the site.
At the time of digging, manure, humus, mineral fertilizers are introduced.
For potatoes “Latona” the best planting time is the beginning of May. The ridges are arranged from north to south.
Care
After planting, standard care measures are provided for potato ridges. Variety “Latona” responds very gratefully to the careful implementation of agrotechnical requirements. If you pay enough attention to it, then the yield rises to the maximum mark. The most basic stages for caring for Latona potatoes are watering, loosening, hilling, top dressing, prevention from pests and diseases.
Watering most useful at the time of bud formation and flowering bushes. The rest of the time, potatoes do not require regular moisture. For the variety, drip irrigation and sprinkling are used.
Weeding the ridges. Necessary event for potatoes. The first time weed the beds a week after planting.
Top dressing is combined with watering.
Preventive measures to prevent the occurrence of diseases and pests should be done regularly. Latona potatoes should be protected from the invasion of the Colorado potato beetle, which can cause great damage to plantings.
Hilling and top dressing
Regarding the hilling of the Latona variety, gardeners do not have the same opinion. But you should take into account the climatic conditions and the composition of the soil on the site. When hilling potatoes inside the nest, the temperature increases. When it reaches +20°C, tuberization slows down. Therefore, some consider this procedure unnecessary. But hilling is necessary to protect potatoes from possible cooling, moisture accumulation and stimulating the growth of tops. This greatly increases the yield. For the first time, Latona potatoes need to be spudded when sprouts appear. Then after watering or rain. It is important to carry out hilling before flowering.
It is best to feed a potato variety with mixed fertilizers. For potatoes, you need to alternate mineral and organic nutrition.
How to feed Latona potatoes:
- When landing, add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of nitrophoska in each well.
- At the time of gaining green mass, a semi-liquid mullein or a composition of 1 tbsp. spoons of urea in a bucket of water. Enough 0,5 liters of any of the fertilizers.
- During the budding period, it is necessary to feed the potato bushes with potassium. Suitable wood ash (3 tbsp. L) and potassium sulfate (1 tbsp. L) in a bucket of water.
- In the flowering phase, granular superphosphate is used.
Diseases and pests
The variety belongs to the category of disease-resistant, but it is not recommended to neglect preventive treatments. You need to start with the preventive treatment of tubers before sowing.
Name of the pest or disease | Control and prevention measures |
Late blight, early blight | Spraying with Metaxil. The frequency of treatments is once every 14 days. Spraying with infusion of garlic |
Wireworm | Frightening off by the smell of planted mustard, legumes or calendula. |
Colorado beetle | Dusting with ash, mulching with onion peel |
Harvesting
Early varieties, which include Latona, begin to be harvested in early July. Although the period may shift depending on the region of cultivation. The harvested crop is laid out on the ridge.
At the same time, the most productive bushes are calculated and the tubers are left for seeds. A few hours after drying, the potatoes are prepared for storage. Select only healthy intact tubers. The rest are stacked separately for quick use.
Before laying, the Laton potatoes are pickled (sprayed) with copper sulphate (2 g per bucket of water). This technique increases the shelf life.
The maximum storage temperature for Latona potatoes is +5°C, humidity 90% and no light.
Conclusion
Potato “Latona” is a very popular variety, although it is considered a novelty. Compliance with the requirements of agricultural technology is the key to an excellent harvest and crop health. “Latona” with good care does not get sick and shows good results at the end of the season. Reviews of gardeners fully confirm the above.
