This article appears in the June 2018 issue of Potato Grower.
In this month’s Smorgasbord, we enlist the help of our friends at Sunrain Varieties to look at Gioconda, named after the Italian name for Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Mona Lisa. Gioconda is a beautiful, yellow-skinned and yellow-fleshed potato with high yields. It offers fast-bulking tubers with a very early maturity. Gioconda’s buttery, nutty flavor ensures the end customer will enjoy these incredible potatoes as much as the grower.
Gioconda is marketed by Sunrain Varieties. Sunrain can be contacted at (208) 552-3096 or www.sunrainseed.com.
Appearance
Large oval tuber
Bright yellow skin and flesh
Smooth, attractive skin with very shallow eyes
Strengths
Fast-bulking tuber
High percent of “A” sizing
Strong resistance to PVY
Great taste roasted, baked, boiled, steamed or mashed
Agronomic Traits
Very early maturity—90 days
Moderate-high yield
Average fertility compared to other yellow varieties
Medium storage length
Robust vine with excellent hill coverage early in the season
Weaknesses
Sensitive to common scab, powdery scab and early blight
