German Butterball (GBB)

Parentage – Unknown

Breeder – Introduced by David Ronniger, Ronniger Potato Farm, Moyie Springs, ID in 1988³

Maturity – Late; 95-135 days^{1, 2}

Usage – All purpose-steaming, baking, frying, and mashing, tubers hold together when cooked until tender^{1 ,2, 3}

Plant – Large, upright vigorous plants⁴

Leaves – Medium size, green, ovate with acuminate tips; three to four primary leaflets pairs⁷

Flowers – Large, white with orange-yellow anthers^4,6,7

Tubers – Medium size, oval, golden, netted yellow skin with shallow eyes; butter-yellow flesh^1,3

Strengths – High tuber set; resistant to scab⁴; store well; have a buttery flavor^{1, 2, 4}

Weaknesses – Susceptible to rhizoctonia (black scurf)⁴, early blight, late blight, fusarium wilt and Verticillium wilt²

Pictures^{4, 6, 7}

References: ¹Shepherd, Renee. Heirloom German Butterball. Renee’s Garden, 2022. ²Duford, Mary Jane. German Butterball Potatoes: A Guide To Planting, Growing, Harvesting, & Recipes. Home for the Harvest, 2022.  ³German Butterball Potatoes. Specialty Produce, 2021. ⁴LaCourse, Roseanna. German Butterball. The Maine Potato Lady, 2022. ⁵German Butterball Potato. Filaree Farm, 2022. ⁶Justin Bula- Northern Sand Farms. ⁷WI Seed Potato Cert. Program

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Last Revised: 8/24/22

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This article was posted in Fact Sheet.