09/28/07 Maximizing storage life for Ranger Russets

Farm and Ranch September 28, 2007 Trying to get the greatest yield from Ranger Russet potatoes by extending the season may cost the grower later. Rick Knowles of Washington State University says their research shows the longer you leave Rangers in the ground under dead vines at the end of the season, the quicker they will lose quality in storage. Knowles: "So trying to squeeze the highest yields possible out of Ranger by prolonging the season for as long as possible is kind of a double edged sword, depending on the year. Yeah, you might get a slightly higher yield, but if you try and grow a crop of Rangers for 170-180 days likely those potatoes will be over mature and will lose quality faster in storage. And so it will come back to bite you later in the season in terms of French fry quality that you get." Knowles says if you are going to kill vines, harvest Rangers as soon as possible after vine desiccation, within a week or two. He says they got the best quality by harvesting from green vines and a lot of growers are actually doing that. Meanwhile, Knowles says WSU's plots are producing good quality potatoes this year with higher yields but he has heard from the industry that there is some incidence of sugar ends in some of the processing potatoes in the Basin. He says some of that early season heat may be the reason for sugar ends. That's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report. Brought to you in part by the Washington State Potato Commission. Nutrition today! Good health tomorrow! I'm Bob Hoff on the Northwest Ag Information Network.