NORLAND: MANAGEMENT PROFILE
Characteristics | Management Profile | Tables
The Norland, especially Red Norland, is very popular and has become the standard for short-season red cultivars in variety trials. Adding to its popularity are its wide adaptability, versatile cooking quality and its consistent uniform tubers. Its loss of red skin coloring is its main weakness.
Seed
Cut or whole seed pieces are acceptable. Eyes are uniformly distributed so cutting into uniform, two ounce pieces is recommended. In areas prone to silver scurf, a seed fungicide against it as well as dry rot is recommended. Also facilities should be sanitized against silver scurf and dry rot. Due to Norland’s tolerance to Rhizoctonia (stem and stolon canker), black scurf on seed tubers is not a major concern.
Planting to Emergence
Plant close, 9 to 10 inch seed-piece spacing, for greater uniformity in tuber size. Emergence is rapid and uniform. Planting depth should be medium, four to six inches. Norlands show good performance in both alkaline and acid soils. Avoid using metribuzin (Lexone or Sencor); if used, apply pre-emergence safely before ground cracking.
Irrigation Management
Norlands are very sensitive to drought and moisture stress. irrigation should be in two to two and a half day intervals at maximum evapotranspiration (ET). But, avoid late season over-watering as this can promote internal brown spot (IBS) and sometimes hollow heart.
Fertilization Management
Norlands have a relatively low requirement for nitrogen. Nitrogen at 120 to 160 lb/acre is sufficient. Nitrogen may be applied all at once pre-plant or may be split with half as starter and half around emergence. There is no information on petiole nitrate-nitrogen levels. Application is based primarily on growers’ experience. Phophorus application is suggested at 50 to 70 P/acre (120-150 P2O5/a). Potassium is added to promote bulking to get larger tubers and is applied at 80 to 125 lb K/acre (100-150 lb K2O/a).
Tuber Quality Note
The redness of the skin color tends to fade with maturity, especially when there is any moisture stress, both too little during mid season and too much late in the season. Irrigation scheduling is critical for redness.
Vine Desiccation and Harvest
Natural desiccation occurs for summer and fall harvest. Norlands desiccate easily. Mechanical or chemical desiccaton would normally be at 60 to 80 days after emergence. Norland tubers bruise easily so handle with care.
Storage
Norland store poorly and storage is not recommended. Tubers have a short dormancy period so Norland for seed is grown in the north and planted for winter and spring harvest in the south.
Suggested Readings
Johansen, RH, N Sandar, WG Hoyman, and EP Lana. 1959. A new red-skinned potato variety with early maturity and moderate resistance to common scab. Am Potato J 36:12-15.
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Key Management Points for Norland |
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vine maturity |
70-90 days after planting |
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disease susceptibility |
early dying, blights, black leg, seed decay, dry rot, silver scurf |
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herbicide |
sensitive to metribuzin |
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tubers |
short |
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seed |
well distributed |
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planting (processing) |
9-10 inch spacing, 4 to 6 inch deep |
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nitrogen |
120-160 lb/acre pre-plant |
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petiole nitrate |
not known |
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irrigation |
>70% available soil moisture; avoid drought |
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desiccation |
natural |
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storage |
none |