Home Guard is an early-maturing potato variety developed in Scotland in 1942 by breeders McGill and Smith from Ayr. It is primarily cultivated in Ireland and is known for its oval-shaped tubers with light beige skin and white to cream-colored flesh. The variety is typically harvested and available in shops by mid-May, offering moderate to low yields. However, it is susceptible to several diseases, including blight, potato cyst nematode, and powdery scab. Additionally, the flesh tends to discolor when cooked.
Plant Characteristics
- Maturity: Very early to early
- Growth habit: Semi-erect to erect
- Foliage cover: Poor to moderate
- Flower colour: White
- Flower frequency: Rare
- Berries: Very rare or absent
- Light sprout colour: Blue
Tuber Characteristics
- Skin colour: White to yellow
- Eye colour: Yellow
- Flesh colour: White
- Shape: Oval to round
- Eye depth: Shallow to very shallow
- Skin texture: Smooth to intermediate
Tubering Characteristics
- Yield potential: Medium to high
- Early harvest yield potential: Medium to high
- Tubers per plant: Many
- Tuber size: Small to medium to large
- Shape uniformity: Uniform
- Resistance to external damage: Resistant
- Dormancy period: Short to medium
