General remarks

Vitalia is a variety suitable for the fresh market in West and Southwest Europe. The yield of this variety is high to very high. Vitalia has a frim cooking type with no after cooking discoloration. The tubers are long oval and regular of shape with shallow eyes. The colour of the skin is bright yellow and the flesh is light yellow. The cooking type is AB and Vitalia shows no after cooking darkening.

Maturity

Early

Seed treatment

Planting Vitalia with small white buds seems to be sufficient. Don’t plant in to cold soils.

Cultivation

Vitalia is not sensitive to spraing and has an acceptable resistance to scab. To maintain the skin quality, good water management is recommended. Because of the average number of tubers per plant and the large tubers, it is advisable to make sufficient big ridges to avoid green tubers later on. Vitalia can resist a normal Sencor treatment, has a quick emergence and later on a good covering foliage.

Fertilisation

The nitrogen apply depends on the history of the field and should for now be at the normally recommended level. Also for potassium and phosphate the normal level is recommended. 

Harvest

After leaf killing it is recommended to wait at least two weeks before starting with harvest, to make sure the skin is finished. Because of the rather large long oval tubers of this variety, mechanical damage is a point of attention. The tubers should be handled with care.

Storage

Vitalia has a rather short dormancy. After drying it is advisable to slowly bring down the temperature to the desired level. Avoid condensation during storing to prevent the development of silver scurf.

Resistance to diseases

Resistant to wart disease fysio 1. Vitalia has a fairly good resistance to common scab. Not resistant to blight, so normal treatments are necessary. Rather strong against stressful conditions like high temperatures and drought.