Thanks,
I think it is a state of utter
incredulity when old heirloom varieties of potatoes rarely have available progeny to keep the interest going among hobby growers...at least... to grow and distribute the original. I have learned more about a variety of potato through the progeny (seedlings) than I can by just growing the clone over and over again.
The act of selfing a variety like Kowiniwini could recombine the genetics in such a way as to restore prototypes of the parents of such a variety.If some of the progeny has spectacles and others solid colors such as white, purple, or even red and different shapes; one can surmise or suppose that something is true without having evidence to confirm it.
Hybridizing a Karoro or a Matariki to a
Kowiniwini? That could generate TPS seedlings perhaps reminiscent of a founding clone that was first brought to NZ.
Obviously, the seedlings would likely be lumpy tubers with deep eyes and waxy flesh. What skin colors appear may indicate ascendant pedigree. Previewing a number of seedling tubers would be like looking at the apriori of the Maori potatoes.....
aprimaori....if you will.
Naturally, I am perhaps more interested in crossing NZ varieties with other clones that could bring something new and valuable to the table; late blight resistance, larger sizes, deep flesh colors....any thing that would be
a posteriori of the Maori. What would that be? A Posterimaori......??
If I could come up with a beautiful potato variety...what would I call it? Hmmm... Maori words for beautiful...I like Whakapaipai the best. I would have to run the name by a Maori tribal leader like King Tuheitia.
- ātaahua
- purotu
- whakapaipai
- ātanga
- waiwaiā
- tau
- hūmārie