A purple potato from Nova Scotia, named after Elizabeth Pugh. Garret Pittenger says that Nova Scotians were called “Blue Noses” because purple potatoes were such a large part of their diet.
Pugh’s Purple. Tubers from a single plant, Victoria BC 2012
GENERAL
Maturity:
Skin colour: light purple
Flesh colour: Purple
Tuber Shape: long oval
Origin and Breeding: Nova Scotia, Canada; named after Elizabeth Pugh.
Year registered in Canada:
AGRICULTURAL FEATURES
Yield: Low yielding over 2 years and 5 locations.
Dormancy:
Storability:
Utilization:
Environmental Stress: Misshapen tubers may be the result of drought.
DISEASE AND INSECT SUSCEPTIBILITY
Growers in 2013 and 2014 in all locations reported the presence of scab on harvested tubers.
Moderately resistant:
Moderately susceptible:
Susceptible:
NOTES:
Garrett Pittenger is the source of the seed potatoes used in the CCP, and has been maintaining this variety for many years: “This is one of three maritime Canadian ‘blues’ in my collection. The other two are Angelina Mahoney’s Blue and Pugh’s Purple. They are all ‘Blue Nose’ types: long oval shape, light purple skin with a much darker blue ‘nose’ on the tuber. Flesh is white with blue streaks around the eyes when peeled. I am told that the Nova Scotians were called ‘Blue Noses’ because of this potato that was a big part of their diet. ” (Potato Gene Resources Newsletter, 2001).
SOURCES:
CROP-CLIMATE PROJECT PERFORMANCE SUMMARY
2013
- In 2013, Pugh’s Purple was monitored in 4 locations: Gananoque ON, Saanich BC, Metchosin BC and Williams Lake, BC.
- In all cases, it was one of the lower yielding potatoes and growers reported problems with poor emergence, brown spotting on leaves and scab on the tubers at harvest.
2012
- Pugh’s Purple yielded poorly in both Victoria and Caledon, with .25 and .53 kg/plant respectively.
- Plants in Victoria showed brown edges on the leaves early in growth and only 5 of 7 survived to harvest stage.
