Pike (Solanum tuberosum)

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ORIGIN: Pike resulted from a cross between Allegany x Atlantic. It was tested as NYE55-35 and released by Cornell University and the Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station in 1996.

CHARACTERISTICS: Plants of Pike are mid to main season maturity. Early vine growth is vigorous and plant canopy is relatively dense. Leaves are relatively open with four pairs of primary leaflets. Main stems are thick with straight single wings and moderate purple pigmentation. Petioles are green without anthocyanin pigmentation. Flowers are white. Pollen is abundant and fertile. Pike is also a good female parent.

Tubers of Pike are medium sized, spherical with shallow lateral eyes and moderately deep apical eyes. The skin is buff colored and slightly netted. Tuber dormancy is considerably longer than Monona or Atlantic.

STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES: The major strengths of Pike are good chip processing characteristics and excellent common scab resistance. Tubers of this variety can be stored at 45(F and produce light color chips. Tuber yield and specific gravity of Pike are about equal to Atlantic. Like Atlantic, it is resistant to golden nematode. Under some environmental conditions, tubers can develop internal necrosis that is similar to the appearance of net necrosis due to leafroll. Laboratory tests have shown that the necrosis is not due to leafroll. It is not well suited for tablestock due to a tendency toward after-cooking darkening and sloughing.