High yield, good taste, resistance to disease - all these are characteristics of Alvar potato varieties.
The variety is bred by German breeders - brothers Frank and Winfried Lange.
Both brothers were educated at the University of Giessen in Frankfurt, after which they defended doctoral dissertations: Winfried - on phytopathology, Frank - on plant biotechnology.
When breeding the Alvar variety, the goal was to develop new medium early varietywhich will have better characteristics than the old Desiree.
In 1975, two maternal tubers were crossed and, after 10 years of stepwise selection, they chose one root vegetable that passed all tests. In 1985, Alvar was registered in the register of plant varieties in Germany.
In Russia, this variety is gaining every year great popularity, thanks to its ability to produce crops on any soil, even unprofitable.
Alvar Potatoes: variety description and photos
Grade name | Alvar |
general characteristics | medium early variety of German breeding |
Gestation period | 80-90 days |
Starch content | 12-14% |
Mass of commercial tubers | 90-100 gr |
The number of tubers in the bush | 8-14 |
Yield | 295-440 c / ha |
Consumer quality | good taste |
Recumbency | 90% |
Skin color | pink |
Pulp color | yellow |
Preferred growing regions | Northwest, North Caucasus |
Disease resistance | moderately susceptible to late blight of tops and tubers, resistant to viruses, scab and pathogen, golden potato nematode |
Features of growing | recommended pre-germination |
Originator | Saatzucht Fritz Lange KG (Germany) |
The medium early variety ripens 70 - 80 days after planting, does not degenerate, for which it is very much appreciated by farmers and gardeners. The bush is tall with thick leaves, the flowers are purple-red, the tubers are placed in the ground shallowly, compactly.
The number of tubers is large, they are all about the same size, correct oval shape, small eyes, shallow. The flesh is yellow, good taste, with a starch content of 13 - 15%.
You can compare this indicator with other varieties using the data in the table below:
Grade name | Starch content |
Alvar | 13-15% |
Aurora | 13-17% |
Skarb | 12-17% |
Ryabinushka | 11-18% |
Blue | 17-19% |
Zhuravinka | 14-19% |
Lasock | 15-22% |
Magician | 13-15% |
Granada | 10-17% |
Rogneda | 13-18% |
Dolphin | 10-14% |
A pictorial photo gallery of Alvar potato varieties:
The yield of the variety is 470 - 540 centners per hectare, marketability - up to 93%. Translated into the language of an ordinary gardener, the yield is about 500 kg of potatoes from one weave.
Resistant variety to almost all types of diseases and viruses, including:
- Scab.
- Golden nematode.
- Crayfish.
- Alternaria
- Rhizoctoniosis.
Of the minuses - susceptibility to late blight at the top, the ground part of the bush. Tubers are more resistant to phytophthora.
Application
Potatoes has excellent taste, it is used both in use and on an industrial scale.
Alvar variety, having tubers of almost the same size and regular oval shape, is great for making chips, crackers. Root vegetables are processed for starch, dry mashed potatoes.
Planting, growing and storage
Before planting tubers need a little warm, give them a thermal push, but make sure that the length of germinated sprouts does not exceed 2 - 3 cm, otherwise they may break off when laid in the ground.
Furrows, for better illumination, are made from south to north. The distance between the rows should be 65 - 75 cm, and between tubers - about 35 cm.
Alvar potato varieties very well kept, does not germinate, does not rot and preserves the taste up to the new harvest. Too depleted, poorlands are recommended to be fertilized with peat, humus or chemical fertilizers. Read about how and when to apply fertilizer and whether it should be done when planting, you can read in separate articles of our site.
We bring to your attention the articles on why and how to properly use fungicides, herbicides and insecticides.
Variety has established itself high yield throughout Russia.
Alvar is not afraid of drought, frost and sudden changes in weather conditions. Soils where you can plant Alvar potato varieties:
- black soil;
- clay soil;
- sandy cakes and even sands;
- peat-gel;
- podzolic;
- sod-podzolic;
- chestnut;
- gray
- brown.
The quality of this grade is 90%. With the keeping quality of other varieties you can see in the table below:
Grade name | Recumbency |
Alvar | 90% |
Kiranda | 95% |
Minerva | 94% |
Juvel | 94% |
Meteor | 95% |
Farmer | 95% |
Timo | 96%, but the tubers germinate early |
Arosa | 95% |
Spring | 93% |
Veneta | 87% |
Impala | 95% |
Diseases and pests
Potatoes can damage dozens of pests, but main enemy considered the Colorado potato beetle.
Older individuals lay eggs on the leaves and stems of the plant. Hatched larvae are immediately accepted for eating the bush. The Colorado potato beetle can destroy the crop in a matter of days by eating the green parts of the bushes to the ground.
There are two ways to fight a pest:
- Processing of tubers before planting in a special solution that protects the culture 40 - 60 days.
- The processing of stems with pesticides is already in the process of growing potatoes. When choosing the second method, it is necessary to carry out processing as soon as the larvae hatched.
We also offer to get acquainted with the materials on the use of folk remedies and chemicals to combat Colorado beetles. The most commonly used are:
- Aktara.
- Regent.
- Corado.
- Prestige.
Alvar varieties are resistant to diseases and pests, susceptible only to late blight, and all efforts should be made to combat it with late blight.
Phytophthora is a plant disease caused by parasitic fungi, manifested by brown rot.
To beat the diseasesprouting potatoes before planting, alternating planting potatoes with other crops, tillage is recommended.
In favorable weather for breeding phytophthora (high humidity), treatment should be carried out with one of the following preparations or its analogues:
- Azocene 5%.
- Modex.
- Polycarbacin 80%.
- Chloroxide copper.
- Arceride 60%.
You need to know that the last treatment is carried out no earlier than 20 days before the harvest.
If you want to breed a medium early variety, which gives a rich harvest on any soil, resistant to diseases, then pay special attention to the German variety of potato Alvar. For the climatic conditions of Russia, it is best suited.