b'Andys Advice:North Dakota Fresh Market Potato Cultivar/Selection Trial Results for 2020By Andy Robinson, Extension Potato Agronomist, NDSU/UMNgated potato field utilizing common than 1.875 inches), B size (1.875 topotato-productionpractices.The 2.25 inches), A size (2.25 to 3.5 inch-authors would like to acknowledge es), and Chef size (greater than 3.5J.G. Halls and Sons for hosting these inches). Total yield is a summationtrials.of C + B + A + Chef. Prior to planting, urea at 120 pounds Theagronomicdatapresentedinof nitrogen (N) per acre was broad- Tables 1 and 2 were analyzed statisti-castandincorporated.Arandom- cally. These analyses allow the read-ized complete block design was uti- ertoascertain,atapredeterminedlized. Seed tubers were hand cut to level of confidence, if the differencesapproximatley2-ounceseedpieces observed among cultivars/ selectionsprior to planting, except the cultivar are reliable, or if they might be dueObama was planted as whole seed. to error inherent in the experimen-Potato cultivars or selections includ- TuberswereplantedonMay21, tal process.ed in this report were selected from 2020inasinglerow.Plotswere3recentlyreleasedcultivarsorfrom feet wide and 30 feet long.The LSD (least significant difference)advancingselectionswithrelease valuesbeneaththecolumnsapplypotential (numbered lines progress- A majority of the plants emerged on only to the numbers in the columning through the trial process), or cul- June 12 in both trials. Stand count in which they appear. If the differ-tivarsthatarenewtotheU.S. and stem count on 10 plants in each encebetweentwocultivars/selec-Standardpotatocultivarsusedby plotwastakenonJuly9.Vine tions exceeds the LSD value at 0.05growers served as checks. For com- length was measured on three plants or 0.10, it means that with 95% orparion,studiesconductedin2019 fromthebaseoftheplanttothe 90%confidence,respectively,theevaluatedred-andyellow-skinned vine tip on August 12. Vigor evalua- higher-yieldingcultivar/selectionfreshpotatoes(https://z.umn.edu/ tion was completed on August 12. A hasasignificantyieldadvantage.Potato2019).rating of 1 indicated least vigor and Whenthedifferencebetweentwo5 greatest vigor. Vines were desiccat- cultivars/selectionsislessthantheIn 2020, two trials were conducted ed on Aug. 21 and 28 with diquat. LSD value, no significant differenceto identify traits of red-skinned and Plots were harvested on Sep. 10 and wasfoundbetweenthetwounderyellow-skinned potato cultivars and 11 with a single row plot harvester.these growing conditions.advancedselectionsatHoople,NorthDakota.Twentyred-skinned Afterharvest,potatoeswerestored The CV stands for coefficient of vari-cultivars and 30 yellow-skinned cul- at 55 o F until grading. The tuber size ation, and is expressed as a percent-tivarswereevaluated.Plotswere profile distribution was determined age. The CV is a measure of variabil-established in a commercial, nonirri- by sorting potatoes into C size (less ityinthetrial.LargeCVsmeana10 POTATO GROWER JANUARY 2021'