Content
The founder of the variety is the well-known Dutch company C.MEIJER B.V. Potatoes "Melodia" passed zoning in the Central region of Russia in 2009. The variety was registered and tested on the territory of Moldova and Ukraine.
Description
Potato variety "Melody" belongs to the category of medium-late and late. The time from planting to harvest is 100 to 120 days. The plant of the "Melodia" variety is a semi-erect bush with juicy green, slightly wavy leaves of a closed type. The shade of the flowers is reddish purple.
Potato tubers are oval in shape, with small superficial eyes. The skin is yellowish, with a pronounced mesh pattern. The weight of one tuber varies from 95 to 180 grams. The nests are compact and well aligned. The number of potato tubers per plant is from 7 to 11 pcs. The potato tastes great (score 5 out of 5). It can be used both for cooking various dishes and for industrial processing (dry mashed potatoes). The dry matter content is from 20.5%. This type of potato is not suitable for making chips or deep-fried.
The variety has a high yield. Here are the characteristics for this indicator.
- The average yield of the variety ranges from 176 to 335 centners per hectare.
- The maximum yield is 636 centners per hectare (recorded in the Moscow region).
In addition to a high yield rate, potatoes are distinguished by an attractive appearance, high keeping quality (about 95%). Tubers of this variety tolerate transportation well and are resistant to mechanical stress. The advantages of the variety include the long duration of the dormant period (7-8 months). This allows you to preserve the potatoes for a long time without breaking off the sprouts.
Features of agricultural technology
In springtime, Melody seed potatoes should be checked for damage and signs of disease. For planting potatoes, use only healthy tubers with a diameter of 30-70 mm, no less.
When planting in "slices", the weight of each should not be less than 50 grams.
The planting time of the variety is May (from the middle to the end of the month). Planting scheme for potatoes 700 x 350 mm. The highest yield can be achieved with dense planting (the number of bushes per 100 square meters - from 55 to 700). The depth of the holes is made to ensure good germination of the potato bushes.
- For loams and clay soils, the planting depth of the variety is 70-80 mm.
- For sandy soils and sandy loam, potatoes are planted 90-120 mm.
To obtain a good harvest, it is important to observe crop rotation. The best green manures include herbaceous plants, winter crops, lupine, flax, and legumes.
Potatoes of this variety are picky about care, need regular loosening of the soil, weeding, good watering. Weeds should not be left even in the aisles, since with a large mass of weeds, the number of tubers on a potato bush is significantly reduced.
Tillage
- In the autumn, the site is dug up. 3-4 cm of fertile soil is added. It is possible to introduce organic fertilizers (compost, humus) in the amount of 4-5 kg per square meter of the plot. If the thickness of the fertile soil layer is less than 30 cm, then the amount of humus per "square" increases to 9 kg.It is impossible to apply manure directly under the bushes, since the risk of damage to potato tubers increases.
- Of the mineral fertilizers for potatoes of this variety, potash and phosphorus are preferred.
- Soil cultivation in spring consists in digging up and applying mineral fertilizers (ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate). For fertile soils - from 16 to 20 grams per square meter. For depleted soils, the amount of mineral fertilizers per square increases to 25 g.
The potatoes are harvested after the bushes have withered and a fairly thick skin has formed on the tubers.
Potato pests and diseases "Melody"
The variety is moderately resistant to the Y-virus.
Good resistance to such diseases.
- Potato cancer (pathotype I).
- Golden cyst-forming potato nematode.
- Mosaics of all kinds.
- Blackleg.
- Rhizocontia.
- Scab.
It is possible to fight the invasions of the Colorado potato beetle on Melodia potatoes only with the help of chemicals (Corado, Tabu, Commander, etc.).
Prevention of late blight disease
Phytophthora is a fungal disease that affects the entire plant. The fungus develops best at high humidity and air temperature. The best preventive measure is careful selection of the seed. In addition, starting in the fall, it is necessary to carry out such events.
- After harvesting potatoes do not leave plant residues on the site (tubers, bushes).
- Treatment of inoculum with antifungal drugs. Best suited: Agate 25K (for 1 liter of water - 12 g) and Immunocytophyte (for 1 liter of water - 3 g).
- Regular seeding (do not grow nightshade plants in the same place for 2-3 years). If this is not possible, soil disinfection using Bordeaux mixture helps. This is especially true for the southern regions.
With the threat of late blight infection, potato bushes are treated with special preparations 2 times with a break of 1.5 weeks. Helps Arsedil (5.5 g per 1 liter of water), Ridomil (2.7 g per 1 liter of water), Osksych (2.0 g per 1 liter of water).
Syngenta is quite expensive, but extremely effective. Helps even with total infection of potatoes with late blight. It is used both as a therapeutic and prophylactic agent.
Increase the resistance of potatoes of the "Melody" variety to fungal infections and growth stimulants (Ecosin, Epil Plus).
If you do not want to abuse chemicals, then folk remedies help fight late blight quite successfully.
- Infusion of garlic (100 g of chopped chives in a ten-liter bucket of water). The solution is used for weekly spraying of potato bushes for a month.
- Fermented milk solution (1 liter of sour kefir per 10 liters of water). Spraying is carried out every week, until the visible signs of the disease disappear.
- For 10 liters of water: 1 tsp. potassium permanganate, copper sulfate and boric acid. Processing time falls on the hottest period of summer (late July-early August). Potato bushes are sprayed twice with a weekly break.
- Mulching the soil with lime with a layer of 0.1-0.2 cm.
Fighting late blight is a rather laborious task. Therefore, it is advisable to take effective preventive measures to avoid contamination of potato plants.
Prevention of viral diseases
The fight against viral diseases is mainly about preventing infection.
- Use of healthy planting material (preferably certified).
- Preventive inspection of plants and timely removal of affected potato bushes. This will prevent the infection from spreading.
- When growing in a small area, select potatoes for planting material immediately from healthy bushes.
- Thorough cleaning of the beds from weeds.
- Destruction of pests. Aphids, cicada and Colorado potato beetle carry viral infections.
- Treatment of planting material with antiviral agents.
- Compliance with crop rotation.
The insidiousness of viral diseases is that at first they develop almost imperceptibly. But after 2-3 years, if you do not take action, the yield of potatoes decreases significantly. Therefore, it is important to timely recognize the disease and prevent its development.
