GEM RUSSET A8495-1
S. Love, P. Bain, D. Corsini, J. Pavek, R. Novy, and A. Mosley
Gem Russet is a medium to late maturing, medium to high yielding (Table 1) clone with long tuber type and medium russet skin. It was selected from a cross between A77182-1 and Russet Norkotah (Fig. 1) by ARS workers at Aberdeen, Idaho. Gem Russet was released by the ARS in cooperation with the Idaho Oregon and Washington Agricultural Experiment Stations in 2000.
Fig. 1 - Gem Russet Pedigree
Gem Russet will be useful for both the fresh and processing markets. It has high specific gravity, excellent fry color from 45° storage, and will often fry acceptably following 40°F storage. Strengths include excellent tuber shape and appearance, high gradeout, long dormancy, high solids, and good fry color. Weaknesses include fairly late emergence and mediocre yields in some environments and susceptibility to PVY (Table 2).
Although highly susceptible to PVY, Gem Russet shows only mild symptoms which can be masked in many field situations. Because of mild symptom expression, it is sometimes considered a symptomless carrier of Pvy.
