True Potato Seed Trials

[reed]

I got down on my belly with a flash light to see if I lost any sweet potatoes under the storage bench in the kitchen. I did, and they are perfectly good, wow.

But I also found this. I forgot I put these down there. They are form the only TPS plant I had last year that made seeds from seed. Rather than rotting or drying up the two or three ping pong ball sized tubers converted themselves into a bunch of pea sized tubers and roots. Never saw nothin like it. I wasn't working with TPS this season but guess I have to put these in the ground and see what happens. I got a spot where I been dumping weeds and such so I think I'll just poke em down in it and see what happens. It's in  a little afternoon shade too, maybe that will compensate some for being planted so late. 

[nathanp]

I have seen this before. Usually it is due to tubers that stored poorly, and/or aged seed tubers. It is a survival strategy where the old tuber is trying to produce a new storage tuber before it is too aged. Unless this is a short dormancy diploid, the new tubers here probably will not grow this year without a dormant period. You may be better off separating them and storing them for 30+ days, then planting.

[atilgan]

I have plenty of berries. These are all from billw and its their second year. The ones in the second picture looks like they are almost ripe?

[atilgan]

This one is from nathanp and it is their second year as well.

[jondear]

The kpp tps train stopped here in Maine today. My organizational skills are going to be pushed to the max to keep all the cool stuff I selected sorted out. Should go out to New York tomorrow.

I'm adding some non potato seeds to the box, including leeks, hot peppers, kale x choy, and a black cherry tomato. Please help yourself to these seeds.

It makes me wonder if a Homegrown Goodness seed train would be awesome.

[imgrimmer]

Anyone has ever heard of this? It is a commercial ukrainian potatoe variety propagated by seeds.
It is still ebay but it might be interesting

[imgrimmer]

One of my seedlings made a huge potato. On top it seems to be Late Blight tolerant.

[imgrimmer]

I found a single berry of phureja potato. The first one in years. Phureja is great. Late Blight resistent, winter hardy and has a great taste. Only minus is the small tubers. It didn`t cross with other potatoes neither naturally nor intended. I hope for something interesting among the seedlings.

[steev]

That spud looks promising for dishes with visual appeal.

[jocelyn]

Those blue ones are often late blight resistant. I have some pooled genetics, based on Russian Blues, Uncle Dawson's blue/blacks and
whatever open pollinations happened over the years. Nearly all are blight resistant, so nice in a bad blight year. Yours looks really great too.
How does it taste? Is it good?

[nathanp]

Most blue potatoes do not have much late blight resistance, at least nothing more than an average potato would have. I am not aware of any commercial blue potatoes with specific LB R genes, and the only ones I have heard that may have it are ones from Tom Wagner's breeding program.

[nathanp]

Here are a few of my 2019 TPS seedlings that I plan to grow from tubers next year.

[wmontanez]

" what is the point if the tubers that keep the best in storage end up not tasting that great"

Try doing controlled open pollination using techniques of design of experiments.

What I mean by that is if you need to have long storage and good flavor then grow a block that has parents with long storage like WHEROROA 16-4 and others and a parent with good flavor and cross that block. Then select TPS seedling hardly on the traits you need. Then another block with fertility and whsteverelse you want. Then cross that first Block to the 2nd block that has promiscuous pollination or the other characteristics you need. Once you have good foundation you can landrace or have them select themselves. Be careful to introduce anything that might bring a problem. E.g male sterility etc. Takes years, not few to get solid foundation. Not everyone is willing or have patience to do it. Good luck dont give up, reinvent your strategy.


To Nathan's point : "quickly found out there was a good amount of value to being able to track lineage across generations, then make intentional crosses. Not every TPS line, batch or variety is equal"

Completely agree, being able to trace back when the 'poor scab resistance' gene was introduced to your TPS lines has lots of value! Then you can trace back and start the previous year batch and select again. I used to save everything with notes etc and good thing I have because 2015 proved to be the turning point on my scabby issue. Going back to the TPS before that to be able to get rid of it or increase resistance.