NICOLA
Seed preparation
Seeds are best kept in a mechanically cooled storage area at 3-4 degrees until 2-3 weeks before planting. Then, 2 to 3 weeks before planting, warm air is used to slightly pre-sprout the seeds so that their eyes are just open. It is inadvisable, however, to pre-sprout or disturb the seeds too much. Nor is it advisable to plant the seeds straight out of the mechanically cooled storage area. Only the top-sprouts may be removed.
Planting
Good soil structure and a high enough soil temperature are very important if uniform emergence is to be obtained. They should therefore not be planted earlier than Bintje. Planting depth is, however, the same. The optimum number of seeds per hectare depends on their size, with the following guidelines for ware potatoes:
Sizes 35/45mm planting distance approx. 26 cm (approx. 2,600 kg/ha)
Nicola potatoes take a little longer than Bintje to emerge and are somewhat less uniform at times.
Crop protection and fertilisation
Weeds can be prevented by spraying with a soil herbicide before potatoes emerge. Nicola is not sensitive to herbicides, so the manufacturer’s instructions can be followed. It is not recommended to spray the crop with Sencor. The same amount to 10% less nitrogen can be applied as for Bintje; the same dosages of potassium and phosphate can be applied as for Bintje. Nicola is rather susceptible to Phytophtora infection in the foliage (less susceptible than Bintje). As far as tuber infection is concerned, Nicola is noticeably less susceptible than Bintje. Nicola produces few to almost no berries, is highly resistant to Am Ro1 and Ro4 (A) and is not susceptible to wart disease fysio 1. Growing Nicola is not recommended on plots which are susceptible to rattle virus.
Harvest and storage
As Nicola is brought onto the market exclusively as a table potato, the aim should be to obtain a maximum yield in the sizes 40/65. Begin on time (from mid-August) with a test harvest and use this as a basis to calculate the optimum time for vine desiccation. An underwater weight of at least 360 grams should be aimed for. To prevent skin damage, the skins of the potatoes should be sufficiently hardened during harvest. Make sure, therefore, that there is a period of at least 2-3 weeks between vine desiccation and harvesting. The optimum temperature for storage during the wound healing period is approx. 14 degrees. Afterwards, the temperature should gradually be reduced to approx. 5 degrees. During storage, Nicola is reasonably prone to sprouting; sprout inhibitors can therefore be applied in the same quantity and with the same frequency as with Bintje. It is advisable to use gaseous treatments (CIPC) only as both liquid and powder sprout inhibitors can cause defects when applied during the storing process. The recommendation is to apply a maximum of 15cc when treating with gas for the first time, applying it more quickly the second time around.
