Potato, Skagit Valley Gold x Qoyllu, 100 seeds (TPS)

True potato seed information and growing instructions

This is an OSSI open source variety.

True potato seeds are classified as breeding seeds and germination is not guaranteed.

In 2019, I made several controlled crosses with Skagit Valley Gold, some of which produced some surplus.  This cross is SVG x Qoyllu.

Skagit Valley Gold

Skagit Valley Gold is an improved type of the potatoes commonly known as “papa criolla” or “papa amarilla.”  These small, yellow potatoes are very popular in South America, but they can’t be grown easily in North America because they don’t form tubers until very late in the year and have no dormancy.  Everett, Washington potato breeder Tom Wagner bred Skagit Valley Gold in 2002 to retain the characteristics of criolla potatoes but with earlier tuberization and better dormancy.

This diploid potato produces small, two to four inch tubers with deep yellow flesh.  It has excellent papa amarilla flavor and texture and is a quick cooking variety.  It is either day neutral or of intermediate photoperiod and produces tubers here during the summer from a spring planting.  It has reasonably good dormancy if harvested before full senescence.  If left to grow too long, the tubers will begin to sprout again in the ground.  Skagit Valley Gold flowers abundantly and sets seed easily.  Unfortunately, it produces very little pollen, in my experience.

Qoyllu

Qoyllu is a Bolivian heirloom potato. It has strong dormancy and also tuberizes under long days with about a four month maturity, so it is easy to grow in North America, unlike many diploid potatoes. The tubers are round and mostly in the 2 to 3 inch range. Skin color is red and flesh is white. The flavor is excellent, with firm dry flesh.

I hope that the cross will produce some progeny similar to SVG but with red skin and perhaps better dormancy.

SVG seed usually has strong dormancy and will germinate slowly in the first year.  The germination will almost certainly be better after the seed is stored for a year.