International Journal of Horticulture, 2025, Vol.15, No.1, 1-7 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/ijh 4 quality. ‘Zheshu974’ was relatively powdery, with a strong aroma, making it suitable for certain culinary applications. ‘Zheshu927’ had a waxy texture after steaming but carried a slight off-flavor, which could affect its market acceptance. ‘Zheshu926’ had a moderate powdery texture and acceptable taste but showed an overall average performance (Table 3). Based on their cooking quality, ‘Zheshu956’ and ‘Mira’ are the most suitable for promotion as high-quality fresh-eating potatoes, while ‘Zheshu974’ is more appropriate for the mini potato market. Due to their inferior taste, ‘Zheshu927’ and ‘Zheshu926’ are not recommended for promotion. Table 3 Cooking taste and comprehensive evaluation of 5 tested varieties Variety Cooking taste Comprehensive evaluation Zheshu956 Powder, strong flavor of potato, good taste High yield and good taste; suitable for large-scale demonstration and promotion in Changxing Zheshu927 Waxy, off-flavor, poor taste Pink skin and pink flesh, but poor growth, low yield poor taste; eliminated Zheshu974 Powdery, good taste Relatively high yield, small and numerous tubers; suitable for demonstration as mini potatoes Zheshu926 Powder, good taste Good taste, but poor growth and low yield; eliminated Mira Powder with waxy, strong flavor of potato, good taste High yield, good taste, which can be widely promoted in Changxing 2.5 Comprehensive variety evaluation Based on field growth performance, yield, tuber characteristics, and taste evaluation, ‘Zheshu956’ and ‘Mira’ demonstrated the best overall performance and high promotion potential. Both varieties exhibited high yields, excellent tuber appearance, superior culinary quality, and strong adaptability, making them well-suited for large-scale cultivation in Changxing County (Table 3). ‘Zheshu974’ had smaller tubers but achieved relatively high yields, making it suitable for promotion as a mini potato variety. In contrast, ‘Zheshu927’ and ‘Zheshu926’ exhibited weaker field performance, lower yields, and average culinary quality, indicating they are not suitable for widespread cultivation in Changxing County. Overall, ‘Zheshu956’ and ‘Mira’ are the preferred varieties for spring potato cultivation in Changxing County and are recommended for adoption by local farmers. Further optimization of their cultivation management techniques could enhance their yield and quality, increasing their market competitiveness. 3 Discussion This study evaluated the field growth performance, yield, tuber characteristics, and culinary quality of five fresh-eating potato varieties in Changxing County. The results showed significant differences in adaptability and yield among the varieties. ‘Zheshu956’ and ‘Mira’ exhibited early emergence, vigorous growth, strong plant structure, high field coverage, and good disease resistance, demonstrating strong yield stability. ‘Zheshu974’ had balanced growth, smaller but uniform tubers, making it suitable for specific market demands. ‘Zheshu927’ and ‘Zheshu926’ showed weaker growth, were more susceptible to diseases, had lower yields, and had limited promotion potential. The findings of this study align with research on the introduction of 21 potato varieties in Wenzhou (Ye et al., 2024) and the field performance of ‘Zheshu956’ in Jinhua (Jiang et al., 2022). These studies also demonstrated that ‘Zheshu956’ has good adaptability and high yield potential in Zhejiang Province. For example, in Jinhua, ‘Zheshu956’ achieved an average yield of 2 646.1 kg/mu (approximately 39 667.2 kg/ha), which was higher than the yield observed in this study. This difference may be attributed to variations in climate, soil fertility, and cultivation practices. The wide-row, narrow-plant, high-ridge mulching system adopted in Jinhua may have contributed to higher yields, suggesting that the cultivation approach used in this study still has room for optimization in terms of water and nutrient management or planting density.
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