Morpho-biological features of promising potato hybrids bred at the Polar Experiment Station, a branch of VIR

Potatoes ( Solanum tuberosum L.) are one of the main agricultural crops cultivated in the Murmansk Region. Severe climate conditions of the Kola Peninsula (low positive summer temperatures, polar day, early frosts in August and September) decrease the growing season length. The goal of breeding work in this region is to create the most productive cultivars. The right selection of parents is essential for the production of early ripening potato cultivars adopted to the local growing conditions. The hybrid potatoes bred at the Polar Experiment Station, a branch of VIR, have been evaluated for early ripeness, productivity, starch content, as well as for high taste quality. The research has yielded characteristics of some promising potato hybrids produced in the conditions of the Murmansk Region. These potato hybrids can be used in a variety of breeding programs aimed at producing new potato cultivars suited for cultivation in extreme conditions of the Far North.