Red Pontiac

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General

• Origin & Breeding: colour mutant of the Pontiac variety discovered in Florida by J.W. Weston. Pontiac was bred by the USDA from (Katahdin x Bliss Triumph) and selected at the Potato Experimental Farm, Lake City, Michigan, in 1931.
• Year registered in Canada: 1955
• Registration number: 645
• Maturity: mid-season to late.

Botanical Features

• Plants: large, slightly spreading; stems thick, prominently angled; nodes slightly reddish purple; wings prominent and double.
• Leaves: moderately open, medium to large, broadly ovate; midribs reddish purple at the attachment of the primary leaflets.
  Terminal leaflets: tip obtuse; base partially truncate.
  Primary leaflets: four pairs.
  Secondary leaflets: numerous, on the midrib between pairs of primary leaflets and at the junctions of the midrib and petiolules.
• Flowers: large, light purple with white tips.
• Tubers: oblong to round; smooth, sometimes netted, red skin; medium deep eyes; white flesh.
• Sprouts: dark reddish purple.

Agricultural Features

High yielding variety of attractive appearance, widely adapted (especially to muck soils). Some drought resistance, bruises easily; susceptible to air cracking at harvest. Low total solids. Good storability, medium dormancy.

• Utilization: fair to good for boiling, baking, chipping and French frying depending on maturity.
• Chief Market: one of the most popular red skinned variety world wide.

Reaction to Diseases

Moderately resistant: black leg, tuber net necrosis.
Susceptible: PVA, PVX, PVY, leaf roll, common scab, fusarium dry rot, late blight, verticillium wilt.

References: 1, 6.

Send your comments to cfia.potatosection-sectiondespommesdeterre.acia@inspection.gc.ca regarding potato variety descriptions.