Targhee Russet: A High Yielding, Dual Purpose Potato Variety with High Protein and Vitamin C Content and Resistance to Tuber Soft Rot

Targhee Russet is a darker-skinned russet potato variety that has shown higher total and marketable yields than Russet Burbank in most yield trials conducted in the western United States. A major strength of Targhee Russet is resistance to tuber soft rot, and it also has moderate resistance to common scab, Verticillium wilt, and net necrosis associated with Potato leafroll virus . Targhee Russet also has exhibited resistance to hollow heart and blackspot bruise. Analyses have shown Targhee Russet to have significantly higher tuber protein and Vitamin C content than Russet Burbank and Ranger Russet. It produces lighter colored fries out of storage than standard processing varieties, indicating its high potential for the production of premium quality frozen and fresh-cut fries. High merit scores for fresh use are also indicative of it having excellent potential as a dual-purpose russet variety, suitable for both processing and fresh-pack operations.