TX1523-1Ru/Y a.k.a Sierra Gold?: An early maturing, yellow-fleshed ruseet cultivar for the specialty/gourmet market

TX1523-1Ru/Y, a unique specialty cultivar with deep-yellow flesh color and an attractive russet skin, was released in 2003 by the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. The smaller, immature tubers are round, but take on an oval shape as they mature. Eyes are shallow and the tuber surface is smooth. Tuber size tends to be medium (113.4–283.5 g; 4–10 oz). Total and marketable yield varies with year and location, but tends to be comparable to ‘Yukon Gold’, with percent marketable yield slightly higher. Vines are semi-prostrate, with medium vigor and size, and relatively early maturity. Specific gravity is about the same or slightly less than Yukon Gold, but generally greater than ‘Russet Norkotah’. TX1523-1Ru/Y has good culinary qualities, with resistance to after-cooking-darkening, and can be chipped, boiled, baked, or microwaved. It has been reported to be excellent to superior as a microwave product. Unlike Yukon Gold, TX1523-1Ru/Y is resistant to hollow heart, brown centers, and internal discoloration. It tends to be less susceptible to tuber infection by late blight (Phytopthora infestans) than Yukon Gold, has greater resistance to common scab (Streptomyces scabies), and is less susceptible to black scurf (Rhizoctonia solani). TX1523-1Ru/Y is believed to be the first yellow-fleshed resset-skin cultivar released in the United States.