POTATO VARIETIES 2020
SAN LUIS VALLEY, COLORADO
This report provides the results of a special survey of potato growers in the San Luis Valley, which was conducted to evaluate potato varieties planted for the 2020 crop. The survey was conducted by the USDA/NASS Mountain Region Field Office with funding from the Colorado State University, San Luis Valley Research Center. Data was collected from potato growers by return mail or by telephone interviews with enumerators. The survey was not sampled to provide a direct expansion of seeded acreage by variety or a measure of the sampling error.
Russet varieties accounted for 87.5 percent of the reported acres of all potatoes planted in the San Luis Valley for the 2020 crop, compared with 75.1 percent in 2019. Yellow Flesh varieties were planted on 5.3 percent of the total acreage, which was down from 12.6 percent in 2019. Red varieties represented 4.6 percent of the total, a decrease from 5.4 percent in 2019. The remaining 2.6 percent of the total was made up of White, Fingerlings, and Other varieties.
Russet Norkotah continued its ranking as the most popular variety among producers by being planted on 49.3 percent of the total potato acreage and accounted for 56.3 percent of all russet potatoes. Norkotah Selection 296 is the most popular, accounting for 19.4 percent of the total acres planted. Norkotah Selection 3 claimed 13.6 percent of the acreage; Norkotah Selection 8 accounted for 8.5 percent of the planted acres. Norkotah 278 had 7.2 percent of the planted acres. The Canela Russet ranked first among non-Norkotah russet varieties in 2020 by being planted on 12.6 percent of the total acreage and representing 14.4 percent of all russet varieties. The Centennial Russet was the second most popular non-Norkotah russet variety, at 12.5 percent of the total acreage and 14.2 percent of all russet potatoes. Reveille Russet planted acreage accounted for 3.7 percent of planted acreage. Mesa Russet planted acreage accounted for 3.4 percent of planted acreage. All Other Russet varieties, which includes Nugget, Rocky Mountain, Teton and others, were planted on 4.3 percent of the total acreage in the San Luis Valley.
Red varieties accounted for 4.6 percent of the planted acreage in 2020. The leading variety, Chieftain, was planted on 1.7 percent of the total potato acreage. Modoc claimed 1.4 percent of the total potato acreage. All Other Red varieties, which includes Ciklamen, Mozart, Sangre and others, were planted on 1.5 percent of the total acreage.
Yellow varieties accounted for 5.3 percent of the planted acreage in 2020. Soraya was the most planted accounting for 1.4 percent of the total acreage and represented 27.3 percent of all yellow flesh varieties. Alegria accounted for 1.1 percent of the total acreage. Other Yellow Flesh varieties totaled 2.7 percent of all potatoes planted.
Total White, Fingerlings and Other varieties, including research varieties and other specialty type potatoes, comprised the remaining 2.6 percent of the total potato acreage. No particular variety or type received enough reports to publish separately.
| Bill Meyer
Director
|
Rodger Ott
Deputy Director
|
Julie Meining Agricultural Statistician |
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| 2015 Crop | 2016 Crop | 2017 Crop | 2019 Crop | 2020 Crop | ||
|
Variety
|
Reported Percent of All Potatoes | Reported Percent
of All Potatoes |
Reported Percent
of Varietal Group |
|||
| Percent 1/ | Percent 1/ | |||||
| Russet Varieties:
Russet Norkotah …………………………………………….. |
||||||
| 35.3 | 37.9 43.4 | 44.7 | 49.3 56.3 | |||
| Norkotah 296 ……………………………………………….. | 7.0 | 13.8 12.5 | 17.9 | 19.4 22.2 | ||
| Norkotah 3 …………………………………………………… | 13.0 | 9.3 7.5 | 11.9 | 13.6 15.5 | ||
| Norkotah 8 …………………………………………………… | 9.7 | 3.8 10.4 | 7.2 | 8.5 9.7 | ||
| Norkotah 278 ……………………………………………….. | 1.8 | 6.5 7.7 | 3.8 | 7.2 8.2 | ||
| Norkotah, all other 2/ ……………………………………… | 3.8 | 4.4 5.4 | 3.9 | 0.6 0.7 | ||
| Canela Russet ……………………………………………….. | 10.5 | 11.9 10.4 | 10.6 | 12.6 14.4 | ||
| Centennial Russet …………………………………………… | 4.9 | 3.2 4.3 | 8.0 | 12.5 14.2 | ||
| Mesa Russet ………………………………………………….. | … | … … | 6.1 | 3.4 3.9 | ||
| Classic Russet ……………………………………………….. | 5.9 | 5.4 D | D | D D | ||
| Rio Grande Russet ………………………………………….. | 2.5 | 3.7 4.2 | D | 1.7 1.9 | ||
| Teton Russet ………………………………………………….. | … | 4.9 5.2 | D | D D | ||
| Reveille Russet ………………………………………………. | … | … … | … | 3.7 4.2 | ||
| Other Russet 3/……………………………………………….. | 10.6 | 17.0 13.5 | 5.7 | 4.3 4.9 | ||
| TOTAL RUSSET …………………………………………….. | 69.7 | 83.9 80.9 | 75.1 | 87.5 100.0 | ||
| Red Varieties:
Chieftain ………………………………………………………… |
||||||
| … | 1.9 D | … | 1.7 36.1 | |||
| Modoc …………………………………………………………… | 2.9 | … D | D | 1.4 31.2 | ||
| Other Red 4/ …………………………………………………… | 4.8 | 3.4 5.1 | 5.4 | 1.5 32.7 | ||
| TOTAL RED ………………………………………………….. | 7.7 | 5.3 5.1 | 5.4 | 4.6 100.0 | ||
| Yellow Flesh Varieties:
Yukon Gold ……………………………………………………. |
||||||
| 2.6 | 2.9 1.5 | 3.1 | D D | |||
| Alegria …………………………………………………………… | … | 3.0 D | … | 1.1 21.7 | ||
| Soraya ………………………………………………………….. | … | … … | 1.5 | 1.4 27.3 | ||
| Other Yellow 5/ ……………………………………………….. | 11.2 | 1.7 5.0 | 8.0 | 2.7 51.0 | ||
| TOTAL YELLOW FLESH ………………………………… | 13.8 | 7.6 6.6 | 12.6 | 5.3 100.0 | ||
| White and Other Varieties:
TOTAL WHITE, FINGERLINGS and OTHER 6/ …… |
||||||
| 8.8 | 3.2 7.4 | 7.0 | 2.6 100.0 | |||
| TOTAL | 100.0 | 100.0 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 100.0 | ||
1/ Totals may not add due to rounding.
2/ Other Norkotahs include Norkotah Standard and others.
3/ Other Russets for 2020 include Nugget, Rocky Mountain, Teton, and others.
4/ Reds for 2020 include Ciklamen, Mozart, Sangre, and others.
5/ Other Yellows for 2020 include Satina, Vista Gold, Yukon Gold, and others.
6/ Other White and Other Varieties for 2020 include Atlantic, Colorado Sunrise, Laratte, Purple Majesty, Purple Pelisse, and others.
… Indicates varietal percentage is very minor or not available. D Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations.
