RED CLOUD: CHARACTERISTICS

Characteristics | Management Profile | Performance

The release of RED CLOUD (NE A143.70-2) was announced in 1992 by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Panhandle Research and Extension Center at Scottsbluff. It is a red-skinned, white-flesh, round potato targeted for the tablestock market for boiling, mashing and baking. Its dark red skin holds color very well in storage making it an attractive potato and excellent for salads and side dishes. Its relatively high specific gravity gives the flesh a mealy texture and makes it excellent for baking. Red Cloud was selected in 1970 by Dr. Robert O'Keefe and its common scab resistance is due to one of its parents, cv. Superior. Early testing was conducted in Nebraska and Colorado (1977-82), in Arizona (1978-82), in Texas (1982-83), and in the North Central States Trial of 1982. From 1989 to 1991, it was retested in western Nebraska. It has a mid-season maturity about that of `Red LaSoda' and earlier than `Red Pontiac'. Its tuber's long dormancy-period requires special storage handling for seed, Red Cloud is tolerant to many diseases but will produce offtypes.

Red Cloud on harvester  Red Cloud tubers 

Summary of Plant Characteristics

  • Purpose -- fresh market (boiled, mashed, baked)
  • Cooking Texture -- mealy
  • Maturity -- mid season; later than Norlands and earlier than Red LaSoda
  • Growth Type -- determinate
  • Dormancy -- long, requiring special handling for seedVine -- medium size and spreading
  • Leaves -- medium size, dark green, closed
  • Flowers -- dark violet to purple
  • Eyes -- shallow; tend to bulge somewhat
  • Tubers -- round to slightly oval; thick, dark red-skin; very white flesh
  • Specific Gravity -- higher than other red cultivars
  • Yields -- equal or higher than Red Norland and Dark Red Norland
  • External Defects -- moderate amount of off-types
  • Internal Defects -- little hollow heart and vascular discoloration, less than Red LaSoda, Dark Red Norland and Red Pontiac
  • Diseases -- highly tolerant to common scab; tolerant to early dying, fusarium wilt and early blight
  • Other -- tolerant to heat stress

Comments: Tables 1-3 show that

  • Red Cloud yields the same or higher than Norlands but less than the longer season red cultivars Red LaSoda and Red Pontiac.
  • Red Cloud has the higher specific gravity (and thereby inferred percent dry matter) than the red-skinned cultivar standards.
  • Red Cloud tends to have fewer internal and external defects than the standards.