Unique in appearance and excellent in taste, the Picasso potato variety from Holland

Late-ripening Dutch Picasso potatoes got their name in honor of the “pink” period of the work of the Spanish artist, sculptor and designer Pablo Picasso, which lasted from 1904 to 1906. He painted his canvases in pink-yellow and pink-gray tones. Each tuber of the Picasso variety truly resembles a work of art - the skin is painted in a light yellow shade with pink splashes in the eye area.

From the article you will learn about the features of the variety's agricultural technology, its advantages and disadvantages, methods of combating late blight and pests.

Description of the variety and history of creation

Picasso potatoes are a product of breeding work by biologists of the Dutch company AGRICO U. A. In 1995, the variety was included in the State Register of Russia.

Among the patent holders:

• Alchak LLC;
• ZAO "Oktyabrskoye";
• LLC "Agrofirm "Glory to Potatoes";
• LLC ETK "Meristematic Cultures";
• CJSC "Prinevskoye Breeding Plant";
• FGBNU "VNII Potato Farming named after. A.G. Lorha";
• SEC "Agrofirm "Elite Potatoes".

Reference. People call this potato differently: Lyska, Limonka, Drunkard, Ryabukha.

Pictured are Picasso potatoes.

Distinctive features and description of appearance are presented in the table.

Agricultural technology varieties

Potatoes Picasso easy to care for, resistant to drought and heat, grows on any type of soil, but to obtain a rich harvest and maintain taste properties it needs organic and mineral supplements.

Agricultural practices - standard. The bushes are watered as the soil dries out, regular loosening, weeding, hilling, and preventive treatments against fungi and insects are carried out.

Other potato varieties:

Early low-growing potato variety "Juvel"

Delicious early ripening potatoes "Colomba" (Colombo)

Dates, scheme and rules of planting

Potatoes Picasso refers to late-ripening varieties, therefore, planting is carried out 2-3 weeks earlier than early-ripening crops are planted - in the last ten days of April, provided that the air warms up to a temperature of +7...+10 °C.

It is not necessary to germinate tubers before planting, however, this procedure speeds up ripening. The seed material is taken out of the cellar 20–25 days before planting to a warm, bright place (room temperature +15°C), sorted, and soaked in Epin or Zircon according to the instructions. Then they are treated with a disinfectant solution of potassium permanganate or Fitosporin. The tubers are laid out in one layer on a flat surface and wait for germination.

Sow on the site before planting wheat, lupine, rye, flax, mustard, after a month are mowed and buried in the ground. Green manure saturates the soil with nutrients, loosens it, and prevents the growth of fungi.

Planted in holes 20 cm deep. Large seeds are cut into two parts, the cut is sprinkled with ash. A handful of wood ash and 25-30 g of superphosphate are added to each. The distance between the holes is 40–50 cm. This rule is due to the spreading structure of the bushes. Thickening of plantings leads to uprooting of tubers and greening under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. The width between rows is 60–70 cm.

Care

Rules for caring for plantings:

1. Picasso potatoes have enough rainwater: they do not need systematic watering. But in hot, dry weather, the bushes are watered from a watering can on their own - once every 10 days. Installing a drip system on site will help minimize labor costs.
2. Weeding and loosening are mandatory procedures to saturate the rhizome with moisture and oxygen. They are carried out when the seedlings reach 6–7 cm in height.
3. Hilling allows you to simultaneously remove weeds and saturate the roots with oxygen. The plants are earthed up for the first time 2–3 weeks after planting, and again after flowering.
4. Harrowing is carried out on large areas (2–3 acres). A harrow is attached to a tractor or walk-behind tractor, the teeth of which tear out weeds from the soil, deeply loosening the soil.
5. Picasso is fertilized with organic and mineral fertilizers three times: after germination, before flowering and during the flowering period.

Fertilizing scheme:

• I serving (two weeks after germination): infusion of chicken manure (1 tbsp dry organic matter/10 l) or 500 g mullein, 25 g urea/10 l warm water;
• II serving (before flowering): 15 g of potassium sulfate, 15 g of superphosphate/10 l of water;
• III portion (during the flowering period): 100 g of superphosphate/10 l or 2 g of sodium humate/10 l (for foliar treatment of plantings).

Reference. Potatoes absorb only 50% of the active components when fertilized by the roots. The plant absorbs minerals most actively when spraying the above-ground part.

Nuances of cultivation and possible difficulties

Variety Picasso shows the best results when cultivated in the Central and Central Black Earth regions. Nevertheless, the crop is grown in other areas of the country, yielding excellent harvests, but in different quantities.

Farmers in the southern regions face difficulties with cultivation.. In constant sunshine, the tubers degenerate, and in early June their development partially stops. To preserve the harvest, gardeners conduct constant experiments. For example, they plant potatoes in the first ten days of July to avoid the peak heat. The long warm period in the southern regions allows harvesting in late autumn.

In addition to the traditional way of growing potatoes practice planting in the grass without digging up the ground. It's much easier and faster. An important nuance is that you first need to make a large supply of grass, hay or straw.

In an area with grass, mark out the beds using rope and pegs. The row spacing is 50–60 cm. 2-3 tubers are laid out in the marked beds with an interval of 20–30 cm in a checkerboard pattern. A 20 cm layer of mulch is made on top. During the growing season, all collected weeds are poured onto the beds, renewing the mulch layer.

Diseases, pests and methods of combating them

Picasso is susceptible to late blight of tops and tubers. The disease manifests itself in the form of dark spots on tubers and greens, and a whitish coating on the back of the leaves.To prevent late blight infection, after 15–20 days, plantings are sprayed with Bordeaux mixture or pollinated with wood ash.

If infection cannot be avoided, used for treatment:

• before flowering - “Ridomil Gold MC”, “Oxyhom” (twice with an interval of 10 days);
• after flowering - “Bravo” (three times every 10 days);
• before digging potatoes - a single treatment with Alufit.

Preventive measures include:

• crop rotation, maintaining distance between plants;
• choosing a site on the south side with good ventilation;
• disinfection of planting material with Immunocytophate, potassium permanganate or copper sulfate before planting;
• harvesting in dry, sunny weather;
• fertilizer with potassium and phosphorus;
• control of nitrogen levels in the soil.

Wireworm larvae are dangerous for potatoes. gnawing through holes in tubers. To get rid of the pest, click beetles, ground beetles, starlings, thrushes, rooks, wagtails, tits are attracted to the site, and the beds are sprinkled with ground eggshells or ammonium nitrate (30 g/1 m²). The drugs “Decis”, “Aktellik”, “Barguzin” effectively destroy the larvae.

Potato tops are a favorite delicacy of the Colorado potato beetle.. To repel it, lupine and mustard are sown next to the beds. The bushes are treated with chemicals: “Taboo”, “Prestige”, “Aktara”, “Killer”, “Fitoverm”, “NO Colorado potato beetle!”, “Korado”.

Among the traditional methods of pest control:

1. Dust with cornmeal. Small particles swell in the digestive system of the larvae, causing their death.
2. Poplar. A 10 liter bucket is filled ½ full with leaves, filled with water and boiled for 15–20 minutes. Cool and bring the volume to 10 liters. After 3 days, begin spraying the plantings.
3. Sunflower.500 g of flowers are poured into 10 liters of water and left for 3 days.
4. Celandine. 1.5 kg of freshly cut grass is poured into 10 liters of hot water. After 3 hours, add 1 liter of 1.5% calcium chloride solution.

Read also:

The benefits and harms of boiled potatoes

Do potatoes cause gas?

Potato eye mask recipes

Collection, storage and use of crops

Harvest on a dry, sunny day in mid-September when landing in May. Three weeks before harvest, stop any treatment with chemicals, herbal infusions and mineral compounds.

Due to late ripening tubers are stored in a cool place until the next season and do not germinate. The safety of the crop depends on compliance with harvesting rules.

Potatoes are sorted, choosing only healthy, undamaged specimens, laid out in one layer in a dry, dark room for 3-4 days to dry. Then they are placed in containers for storage. Plastic, wooden boxes and linen bags are suitable.

Potatoes store well with beets, which is laid out on top. Root vegetables absorb moisture, preventing potatoes from rotting.

Household thermal containers are suitable for storing crops on the balcony., resembling large backpacks. They are hung on mounts in the wall or installed on a hill so that the bottom does not touch the icy floor in winter.

The balcony cellar is produced in three variations:

• 100 l (holds 1 bag of potatoes);
• for 180 l (2 bags);
• for 300 l (3 bags).

Tubers are regularly inspected and sorted, completely removing their storage. Rotten and green fruits are thrown away.

Picasso potato variety suitable for preparing a variety of dishes. The optimal starch content (7.9–13.5%) allows the tubers to be boiled in water and steamed, stewed, fried, baked.During the heat treatment process, the potatoes do not become overcooked.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages of Picasso potatoes include::

• excellent taste;
• optimal starch content;
• attractive presentation;
• keeping quality;
• high level of transportation;
• resistance to most “potato” diseases;
• drought resistance;
• ease of care.

Flaw — susceptibility to late blight of tops and tubers.

For which regions is it best suited?

Favorable growing regions Picasso potatoes:

• Central, including Bryansk, Vladimir, Ivanovo, Kaluga, Moscow, Ryazan, Smolensk, Tula regions;
• Central Black Earth, with its constituent Belgorod, Voronezh, Kursk, Lipetsk, Oryol and Tambov regions.

Reviews

Feedback from farmers about the Picasso variety is mostly positive. However, there are also negative ones - not everyone is happy with its taste.

Valery, Valuiki: “We have loved this variety for a long time. Initially, I was attracted by its interesting appearance - yellow skin with pink eyes. And then we realized that the potatoes tasted great. The yield is high, we collect about 20 tubers from one bush. The crop is unpretentious in care, but requires the application of organic and mineral fertilizers".

Lyudmila, Oboyan: “Last year I planted several rows of these potatoes and reaped a rich harvest. I didn’t like the taste of the potatoes; they break when fried. Stored without problems, does not grow. I won’t plant any more, there are much tastier varieties.”.

Olga, Glazunovka: “This is the most popular variety in our market. We grow potatoes for sale, and Picasso is the first to be bought.This is facilitated by the beautiful lemon-colored peel with pink splashes and the tasty pulp with a pronounced potato aroma. Maintenance is simple and consists of moderate watering, weeding and adding organic matter and minerals.”.

Conclusion

The Picasso variety is characterized by a late ripening period, allowing the harvest to be stored until the next season. The tubers are distinguished by their uniformity and medium size. The skin has an interesting color - yellow-pink, which attracts the attention of buyers. Its universal use in cooking provides optimal starch content (7.9–13.5%), so potatoes can be boiled, fried, baked, or stewed without fear that they will turn into mush during the cooking process.

The crop is susceptible to late blight infection of tops and tubers, but timely preventive treatment and compliance with the rules of agricultural technology prevent infection.