In early 2026, the COBORU variety registration commission approved the inclusion of four new potato varieties in the national register: two table varieties and two starch varieties. Among the table varieties, “Polka” stands out; it is an early-maturing variety with light-colored flesh that does not darken after cooking, good flavor, high resistance to potato virus Y (PVY), and good marketable yield, although it shows only weak resistance to late blight. “Telimena” is a mid-early variety with yellow flesh, suitable for washing, packaging, and long-term storage; it is resistant to potato wart (pathotype 1) and the golden potato cyst nematode (Ro1) and yielded 588 dt/ha in 2025, though it exhibits weak resistance to PVY and late blight, requiring enhanced crop protection.
Among the starch varieties intended for industrial processing, “Batalion” is a mid-early variety with very high yield and a starch content of approximately 18.6%; it combines high resistance to PVY with moderate resistance to late blight. “Merkawa” is an early-maturing variety with a very high starch yield (averaging 19.8%, and up to 22.2% in dry years), high resistance to PVY, and weak to moderate resistance to late blight. Thus, ‘Polka’ and ‘Batalion’ are distinguished by their resistance to PVY; ‘Telimena’ impresses with high yield and nematode resistance but requires rigorous protection against PVY and late blight; and ‘Merkava’ stands out for its exceptionally high starch content.
