Potato variety “Ilyinsky”, suitable for any soil and climatic conditions
Ilyinsky potatoes ripen early (we plant in May and harvest in July), are unpretentious in care, and retain their presentation well even after long-term storage. Its excellent taste allows it to be used in cooking: this variety is ideal for making crispy French fries.
High yield (10 or more tubers on one bush and up to 350 c/ha) has earned this variety well-deserved popularity both among domestic vegetable growers and farmers from neighboring countries.
Description of the variety
The early ripening and productive variety Ilyinsky has loyal fans among summer residents and farms. Let's get to know this culture better.
Origin and development
The authorship of the new vegetable variety belongs to a group of breeders from the Moscow region of the All-Russian Research Institute of Potato Farming named after A.G. Lorja. In 1999, this variety received its “registration” in the State Register of the Russian Federation.
Areas where it is recommended to grow it: Central Black Earth Region, Middle Volga.
Chemical composition, trace elements and vitamins
In potatoes Ilyinsky the amount of starch ranges from 16-18%. 100 g of tubers of this variety contain about 2 g of protein, 0.5 g of fat and more than 2 g of fiber. In this case, the volume of water in the vegetable will not exceed 77.5 g.
Potatoes contain: vitamin C, B vitamins, potassium, necessary for the functioning of the heart and kidneys, zinc, copper, phosphorus, chlorine, magnesium, boron and many other micro- and macroelements beneficial to the body.
Ripening period
The ripening period of the vegetable ranges from 70 to 80 days. From one bush, 10-15 medium-sized tubers are collected from one hole after 3 months of growing season.
Productivity
Provided the summer is not too rainy, the farmer can easily achieve a vegetable yield of 290 c/ha. Moreover with competent agricultural management and the availability of good agricultural technology Ilyinsky's yield will be 350 c/ha, or approximately 5 kg of potatoes per square meter. m ridges.
Disease resistance
This variety is resistant to diseases such as scab. However, the stems and leaves of the plant can be affected by late blight, although the tubers are less susceptible to late blight.
The main enemy of potatoes Ilyinsky - This is a golden nematode. When affected by this pest, plants slow down in growth, the lower leaves dry out and turn yellow. The root system resembles a sponge, the tubers become small and tasteless.
Characteristics of tubers, description of the appearance of the plant
Bushes are low, straight. Leaves are light green. When the stems of the bush fall apart, it needs to be earthed up. Ilyinsky potato inflorescences are small and have a rich red-violet hue.
The tubers are round-oblong, pink, sometimes red. Potato weight 60-150 g.
Main distinctive characteristics of tubers:
- white starchy pulp;
- red, small eyes are visible on the surface of the peel;
- When cooked, the shape is retained, but the potatoes are slightly softened;
- Ilyinsky tubers are used to make crispy potatoes in home cooking and in fast food restaurants.
Attention! You can store these potatoes for a long time if cut raw. Its flesh does not darken when raw and does not lose its original whiteness even after cooking.
For which regions is it best suited?
The most abundant harvests are obtained in Central Black Earth Region, Middle Volga. The variety has found its admirers in Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.
What is the difference from other varieties
The vegetable has excellent tuber preservation (93%) and high yield. If you compare it with other varieties, you will notice that some of them are more resistant to frost and can be preserved longer than Ilyinsky (Snegir potatoes are preserved up to 95%). However, the yield of Bullfinch is consistently 180 c/ha. Ilyinsky “boasted” of the result with a harvest of 350 c/ha.
Other early potato varieties:
Potatoes with a high degree of keeping quality "Red Sonya"
The main advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The main advantage of the variety is that, compared to similar early varieties, it can be stored for a long time at high temperatures. Other advantages are universal use, excellent taste, unpretentiousness.
Main disadvantage: If the crop is improperly hilled, the number of tubers can be significantly reduced.
Features of planting and growing
Let's move on to practice. We bring to your attention detailed instructions for growing the variety.
Preparing for landing
Before planting in early spring, the tubers are taken out of the basement into a warm barn. They can germinate over the winter, so it is advisable to remove new growth first.
Choose a convenient container to place the tubers in. The boxes should be low, with low sides. Immediately before sowing the crop in open ground, it is advisable to disinfect the tubers in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and also treat them with growth stimulants, for example, Epin.
Soil requirements
The Ilyinsky variety prefers soil on which flax or beans were previously grown. Lupine may also be its predecessor on the ridge, but in this case it is important to loosen the soil well. In the fall, it is advisable to plow, and in early spring, after the snowdrifts have melted, to hill up the area. If the soil is insufficiently loose, the yield will be low.
Attention! Ilyinsky potatoes are planted to a depth of no more than 10 cm, when the soil warms up well.
Dates, scheme and rules of planting
In most regions, Ilyinsky potatoes are planted in open ground in May. Keep the distance between holes approximately 60 cm, and between rows at least 35 cm.
To form even rows, gardeners use a regular rope - they stretch it along the rows and then use it to guide them when planting. Keep in mind that in sloping terrain, potatoes are planted not along, but across the slope.
There are several ways to plant potatoes on a plot:
In single-line (single-row) order. In this way, the tubers are planted in shallow rows. The interval between them is approximately 60-70 cm. The distance between tubers in a row is 25 cm, planting depth is 7-8 cm.- Tape method. In the form of a tape, planting is carried out in two rows. The distance between the rows is 30 cm. After about 1 m, the same two ridges are dug.
- Combs in rows.With this method of planting potatoes, the tubers are planted in rows at a shallow depth. After being placed in the soil, they are covered with soil in the form of a ridge. In such earthen hills, the potatoes warm up well, and the farmer harvests the crop a couple of weeks earlier than usual.
Important! Experts recommend strictly observing planting dates. If planted early, the tubers may rot from dampness. And if the deadline is delayed, the harvest simply will not have time to ripen.
Features of cultivation
An important point in growing potatoes Ilyinsky - its protection from spring frosts. In May, barely appeared sprouts are covered with a layer of earth (about 5 cm). Of course, if you don’t do this, the bushes will not die from frost. However, the number of tubers on the bush may decrease significantly.
Nuances of care
Because the taste qualities of the variety described above largely depend on proper care for it, it is worth remembering that Ilyinsky potatoes love loose soil and do not tolerate weeds. Hilling is carried out even before the bushes bloom. It is advisable to mulch the beds during the same period.
Watering mode
At the very first time, watering is not required for the vegetable., since planting is done in moist soil. If you do not follow this rule and water the potatoes too much, you can disrupt the development of the plant’s root system. In addition, excess water clogs the ground and it will be difficult for Ilyinsky, with his roots located on the surface, to subsequently saturate the plant with moisture.
And only when the first shoots appear above the surface of the ridge, you can water them for the first time. It is advisable to run water into the furrows between the rows. In the future, more irrigation liquid will be required. This is due to the beginning of flowering and the formation of buds.If there is insufficient watering, the bushes will dry out.
Reference. It is best to water in the morning and evening with warm, sun-warmed water.
Top dressing
To get a bountiful harvest, timely fertilizing of plants is carried out.
The feeding scheme looks like this:
- For the first time, nitrogen fertilizers are applied to the soil during the period of green mass growth.
- In the second case, they are fed with potassium fertilizers. This will lead to the accelerated appearance of buds and, in general, will have a good effect on the growth and development of Ilyinsky potatoes.
- For the third and last time, the bushes are fed with superphosphate to speed up the process of tuber formation.
The easiest way to use fertilizers in your garden is in the form of solutions. On farms, dry fertilizers and powders are used for each bush.
Reference. It is advisable to water the plants with a solution of fertilizing applied to the already wet soil. This will prevent chemicals from burning the roots.
Weeding and hilling
The Ilyinsky variety likes frequent weeding and hilling. As a rule, these procedures are performed before small red-violet inflorescences appear on the bushes.
Mulching is carried out to raise shoots that have grown and fallen to the ground.. After this procedure, the Ilyinsky potato bushes become spreading, and the tubers form faster.
Disease and pest control
Although Ilyinsky tubers are resistant to late blight, the fungus can affect its above-ground part. If dark spots appear on the leaves and stems of the plant, which means the disease has affected the bushes. Such drugs as “Ridomil MC”, “Oxychom”, “Ridomil Gold MC” will help to stop the course of the disease.
To cope with the disease common among this variety of vegetables golden nematode, carry out preventive work. It is recommended to spray the bushes with a solution of copper sulfate, copper sulfate, or manganese. You can add drugs such as “Medvedtox U”, or “Gromoboy 1”, “Gromoboy 2”.
Attention! The potato disease golden cyst nematode is incurable. Do not neglect plant prevention so as not to completely destroy it.
Harvest and storage
The most enjoyable moment for any farmer is harvesting. Let's find out how to harvest Ilyinskaya potatoes without loss and on time.
How and when to collect
Since the variety is early ripening, The harvest is harvested within three months after landing.
Advice. Take care of next year's harvest in advance. It is important to pay attention to the number of tubers on the bush. Choose only those with at least 10 healthy tubers and use this material for planting next year.
Two weeks before digging all the tops are mowed down. It is advisable to harvest potatoes by hand so as not to damage the fruit. Those plants whose bushes have fewer filled “nests” are not suitable for sowing next year, even if large-sized potatoes are found on them.
Attention! Harvest potatoes only in dry weather!
Features of storage of the variety
Tubers can lie all winter and are preserved by 93% unlike some other mid-early varieties, which are immediately eaten after harvesting and are not stored for a long time.
To store vegetable varieties for a longer time, follow these rules::
- After digging, the tubers can be dried directly in the garden bed. At the same time, keep them in the open sun no more than a few times;
- after drying, place Ilyinsky for at least two weeks in a dry place with a temperature of +12–16 °C;
- It is advisable to inspect each dried tuber in order to sort out infected and small potatoes. It is recommended to place seed potatoes in a container separate from the “food” potatoes.
Reference. To preserve the Ilyinsky variety in proper form, keep in mind that it is prone to early germination. To avoid the rapid appearance of shoots, you need to reduce the temperature in the storage to +3–4˚С towards the beginning of spring.
What difficulties may there be when growing
When growing the Ilyinsky variety consider its susceptibility to late blightwhen too much moisture accumulates at the roots of a plant.
To prevent the plant from becoming infected with late blight, it is recommended to discard infected tubers before planting and hill up the bushes at least three times a season. It is advisable to spray the plantings several times with special preparations (for example, Fitosporin-M) and ensure that infected plants do not come into contact with healthy bushes on the ridge, that is, remove diseased plants in a timely manner.
Insect pests are the main danger to crops. One of the most “formidable” pests of the Solanaceae family can be considered Colorado potato beetle. The whole difficulty of fighting them lies in the fact that they come to the surface of the earth unevenly. First, those that overwintered closer to the soil surface appear on the leaves. After this, their “deeper” counterparts crawl out onto the potato sprouts.
It is almost impossible to completely get rid of adults, their larvae and eggs at one time. Colorado potato beetles can destroy all potato plantings in a short time. If you don’t want to use chemicals, you will have to collect them manually throughout the growing season. Spraying with onion tincture helps a little.If there are a huge number of pests, you will have to use insecticides. “Decis”, “NO Colorado potato beetle” and other preparations are sold in every garden store. Before use, be sure to read the instructions.
Read also:
Advice from experienced gardeners and reviews about the Ilyinsky variety
This section contains useful tips and reviews from farmers.
Ivan, Nikolaev: “To prevent infection of the Ilyinsky variety with the nematode that settles in the tuber, you need to carefully check all available seed material. Before pouring the potatoes into containers for seed, I sort the tubers and throw the spoiled ones into the cesspool immediately after detecting spots on the skin. Also, before planting a vegetable, I prepare a plot for Ilyinsky in the garden. Beforehand, in the fall, I sow green manure on the site selected for it. Then in the spring I plant potatoes in this area.”.
Alexandra, Noginsk: “To improve the taste of the crop, I plant it mixed with late varieties. It's a real pleasure to try new potatoes in mid-July. Very tasty and healthy!”
Sergey, Nizhny Novgorod: “Every member of our large family likes the taste of Ilyinsky. We store these potatoes very well; they can last until spring. We begin harvesting in July, although we plant it at the dacha only in May. My wife prepares a lot of different dishes from it, bakes it, cooks it. We noticed that if you accidentally cut off fresh tubers, the flesh does not darken during storage for several days, but remains white and clean.”.
Conclusion
Ilyinsky potatoes are characterized by high reliability, unpretentiousness to the soil, and drought resistance. Although compared to new high-yielding varieties, this variety produces slightly fewer tubers (5 kg per 1 sq. m), it fully satisfies the needs of vegetable growers. Many people choose it because of its high preservation rate (more than 90%) at a relatively high temperature (above +5°C).