Favorite by farmers for its ease of care and productivity, the Lasunok potato variety

Lasunok potatoes are an old-timer of the domestic market, which has not lost its popularity to this day, despite the abundance of new, improved varieties. The tubers have a pronounced potato flavor and aroma and are widely used in cooking and food production. The variety is unpretentious in care, requires a minimum amount of mineral fertilizers.

In this article, we will talk about the nuances of agricultural culture, its advantages and disadvantages, measures to prevent viral and fungal diseases.

Origin and description of the potato variety

Lasunok (original name Lasunak - "delicacy" from Belarusian) is a late potato variety bred by breeders of the Scientific and Practical Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus for Potato and Fruit Growing.

Culture was included in the State Register of Belarus and Russia in 1988. Since then, the variety has remained one of the most popular in both countries.

Seeds are patented by:

• FGBNU VNII of reclaimed lands;
• FGOU VPO Tver State Agricultural Academy;
• RUE SPC NAS Belarus on potato and horticulture;
• BRANCH FGBU "Rosselkhoztsentr" in the Nizhny Novgorod region.

The photo shows Lasunok potatoes.

The table shows the main characteristics of the culture.

Agrotechnics of culture

The principles of growing Lasunok potatoes are reduced to preliminary germination, dividing tubers into parts, moderate watering, loosening, hilling and controlling nitrogen levels.

Timing, scheme and landing rules

The slider is suitable for growing on almost any type of soil. The best result is shown on sandy soil, the worst - on clay.

Heavy, clogged soil is loosened with river sand or sawdust. A month before planting, the site is sown with green manure (flax, wheat, rye, oats, lupine). The cut greens are buried in the soil to increase fertility, oxygenation, and prevent the development of pathogenic microflora.

2-3 weeks before planting, the tubers are taken out of the basement and taken out into the sunlight for germination. Timing landing depend on the region. In the southern regions, planting work begins in mid-April, in the middle lane - in early May. The air should warm up to at least + 15 ° С, the ground - up to + 7 ... + 8 ° С.

The minimum germination temperature is + 7 ° C. The tubers are soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate, copper sulfate or Fitosporin. The day before planting, the seeds are treated with "Epin", "Zircon" germination stimulants.

Potatoes thrive best in partial shade than in the sun... In the selected area, holes are formed, the depth of which depends on the type of soil:

• on loam - 5–7 cm;
• on sandy and sandy loam - 10-12 cm.

The distance between the pits is 35 cm, between the rows - 70 cm. A handful of wood ash, humus is added to each hole and a strong solution of potassium permanganate is poured.

Council. To scare off the larvae of the click beetle, put onion peels in the holes.

Care

Planting care rules:

1. The plant does not like stagnant water in the ground, but it does not tolerate drought. With a moisture deficit, tubers grow small. The ideal solution for large planting areas is the drip irrigation system. In household plots, potatoes are watered for the first time a week after planting, then - once every 2 weeks.
2. Loosening is carried out shallowly, after each watering, trying not to damage the root system.
3. Weeding is a must for successful potato cultivation. Weeds are removed by the root and completely removed from the site.
4. Potatoes are spud up after the sprouts reach a height of 10 cm, again - during the flowering period. When cultivating on an industrial scale, harrowing is carried out using motoblocks.
5. Fertilizers are applied carefully, 10-15% less than the recommended dose, and the nitrogen level in the soil is controlled. Its excess leads to an increase in green mass and a decrease in the size of tubers.

During this growing season, foliar mineral dressings with phosphorus, potassium, manganese, boron, magnesium are actively applied:

1. The first portion of fertilizers - 14 days after planting: 50 g nitrophoska / 10 l of water. Stimulants with amino acids "Poteytin" or "Megafol" are added to the solution.
2. The second portion is introduced during the budding period: 20 g of superphosphate, 2 g of potassium sulfate, 2 g of ammonium nitrate, 0.1 g of copper sulfate / 10 l of water.
3. The third time the bushes are irrigated two weeks after flowering: 5 g of boric acid and 2 g of potassium permanganate / 10 l of water. Boron prevents the formation of voids in potatoes, while manganese improves the taste of the product.

The nuances of growing and possible difficulties

Features of growing varieties Lasunok:

1. To prevent torrential soil erosion, in some regions of Russia, potatoes are planted in flat areas. The maximum permissible slope is 3 °.
2. On heavy clay and loamy soils with high humidity, ridge planting is used.
3. In regions with an arid climate, a smooth planting is used in areas with sandy loam.

Ridge planting advantages:

• improving soil aeration;
• rapid heating of the soil and early start of planting work;
• increased productivity due to the free development of roots and tubers;
• increasing the productivity of agricultural machinery by 10-13%.

Autumn cutting of ridges is used in the Central Black Earth Region to obtain an early harvest. Work begins in late October, during the first frost period. On the site, ridges with a height of 25 cm are formed and at the same time humus is introduced. Row spacing - 70 cm.

Spring formation of ridges is practiced in the regions of the middle lane. First, the soil is loosened, then ridges are made with a height of 15-16 cm. The distance between the rows is 70 cm.

Smooth planting of potatoes is the traditional method of planting tubers in the "shovel" holes... On the site, they outline the beds and use a bayonet shovel to raise a layer of earth 5–12 cm deep. It is more convenient to work together: one digs, the second spreads the seeds.

Interesting fact. Several years ago, the American company Naturally Best tried to popularize the exclusive Vivaldi potato variety. It was bred for the scent of fresh butter. Tubers contain 33% less calories compared to other varieties of potatoes.

Diseases and pests

The Lasunok variety has immunity:

• to potato crayfish;
• late blight on tubers;
• viruses S (lightening of leaves), M (curling, mosaic of upper leaves), Y (wrinkling, striped foliage), L (curling of leaves along the central vein).

Potatoes are moderately resistant to late blight of leaves, black and common scab, black leg, susceptible to virus X (yellowing of leaves, mosaic).

There is no cure for viral diseases, and the maximum damage is estimated 2 years after infection.

Virus control measures are aimed at preventing:

• using healthy material;
• constant weeding of beds, removal of infected bushes;
• selection of seed tubers immediately after harvest;
• destruction of aphids, Colorado potato beetle, cicadas;
• culling tubers with weak and damaged seedlings;
• seed treatment with antiviral and antifungal agents;
• compliance with crop rotation.

Late blight manifests itself in the form of brown spots on the foliage and white pubescent plaque on the back. Most often, the disease is detected during the period of prolonged rains. For treatment use a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid, "Silk", "Krezatsin", "Bravo", "Alufit".

The originator claims that the variety is not afraid of the Colorado potato beetle. In fact, there is information that the pest eats the juicy green foliage of the plant with pleasure. For industrial cultivation, potato plantings are treated with the fungicides Prestige, Bankol, Confidor, and Komandor.

On personal plots, the following methods of dealing with the beetle are used:

• manual collection in a jar with saline or soap solution;
• dusting with gypsum, corn flour, birch ash;
• spraying plants with birch tar (100 ml / 10 l of water);
• processing with infusion of celandine (1.5 kg of fresh grass / 10 l of water).

Collection, storage and use of the crop

Harvesting begins in September. After digging, the tubers are cleaned of the ground, sorted. Rotten tubers are thrown away, healthy ones are laid out in the shade and left to dry for 2-3 days.

Lasunok potatoes are distinguished by a short dormancy period and after 3-4 weeks they begin to germinate if stored in improper conditions. The optimum temperature in the basement is + 1 ... + 2 ° С. In such conditions, the potatoes lie until the next season.

For storage in the basement, wooden, plastic boxes, nets and burlap are used. Beets or apples are spread on top to prevent sprouting and rotting. Tubers are periodically sorted, completely removed from the container. Specimens with signs of rot, damage, greenery and germination are discarded.

It is more difficult to preserve the harvest in a city apartment. Potatoes are stacked on a warmed balcony or loggia in boxes installed on a stand. Containers must not come into contact with the ice floor. This will protect the tubers from freezing.

Reference. On sale there are special "balcony cellars" powered by the mains. They are able to maintain an optimal storage temperature even in severe frosts (down to –40 ° C).

In cooking, Lasunok is used to prepare crumbly and aromatic mashed potatoes, golden fries, soups, stews, boiled and baked dishes. Large companies buy potatoes for the production of fast food, snacks, starch and alcohol.

Advantages and disadvantages

Valuable qualities of the variety:

• high productivity;
• resistance to viral and bacterial diseases;
• universal use in cooking;
• unpretentious care;
• reference taste.

Among the disadvantages:

• the need to comply with the temperature regime during storage;
• obsolescence of the variety, tendency to degeneration.

Growing regions

The culture received admission to growing in the following regions of Russia:

• Central;
• Central Black Earth;
• Volgo-Vyatsky;
• Northwest;
• North Caucasian.

Reviews

Lasunok is an old but proven variety. Gardeners appreciate it for its amazing productivity, resistance to viruses and fungi, and its classic potato flavor.

Evgeniy, Kanash: “I've known Lasunok for a long time.I like its pronounced taste and aroma. Its mashed potatoes are the best I've ever tasted. In the reviews I read that the potatoes are resistant to the Colorado potato beetle because of the thick, rough leaves. But in fact, pests gnaw them no worse than others. But that's not a problem for me. If there are few beetles, I collect them by hand. In case of mass defeat, I spray it with any drug available in the store. "

Elena, Oryol: “I bought the seeds of the first reproduction. The taste of potatoes is excellent, five-plus, superior to some boiled varieties. Productivity is high, plants sometimes get late blight when the summer is rainy, but I treat the bushes with whey and iodine as often as possible, and the scale of the lesion is reduced. "

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Conclusion

The late Lasunok variety was positively assessed by many gardeners for its high yield, resistance to viral and fungal diseases, excellent taste and aroma. The disadvantage of the culture is the need for a low temperature during storage in the cellar (+ 1 ... + 2 ° С), since when everything rises to + 4 ° С, the tubers begin to germinate.

The agricultural technology of the variety is simple, but requires compliance with the rules of watering, loosening, weeding and hilling. Preventive measures (crop rotation, pre-planting treatment of tubers, harvesting of weeds) contribute to a healthy and rich harvest.