Potatoes · Potato · Short entry
Alpha
A very late Dutch potato bred by J. C. Dorst for the Friesian agricultural society, crossed in 1919 and introduced in 1925. It became a sought-after export potato, with large round-oval tubers and fairly floury, pale yellow flesh.
Origin and character
Alpha comes from the cross Paul Kruger x Preferent, made in 1919 by J. C. Dorst; the 1960 Rassenlijst, quoted by CGN, names the Friese Maatschappij van Landbouw at Leeuwarden and gives 1925 as the year of introduction, which the WUR Potato Pedigree Database also gives. CFIA places the cross at Wageningen. WUR lists three older, unrelated Dutch and American potatoes of the same name.
The 1960 list describes a late, very durable, sought-after export potato with a high yield and a moderate starch content. It is fairly floury, with fairly good taste and colour. The large tubers are round-oval, regular in shape, fairly shallow-eyed and light yellow inside. CFIA calls the texture fairly firm to floury and rates it good for boiling; its chief market in Canada was seed export.
How it connects
Potato
- parent of Koopmans Blauwe
