OUTSTANDING QUALITIES
- EARLY TO MID-MATURING, YELLOW NOVELTY BEETROOT
- WIDELY ADAPTED – ALL YEAR ROUND PRODUCTION
- VIBRANT GOLDEN YELLOW INTERNAL ROOT COLOUR
- HIGH QUALITY ROOTS WITH A SWEET TASTE
Touchstone Gold is an early to medium maturing yellow specialty beetroot. Touchstone Gold has vibrant yellow to golden, smooth, globe shaped roots with small crowns and taproots. In addition, the roots have very little to no internal zoning and a sweet taste. Touchstone Gold can be roasted, cooked and due to its sweet and delicious taste it is ideal to consume raw in fresh salads or as garnish. The yellow pigment does not stain and the root retains its beautiful yellow colour when cooked. Touchstone Gold has a strong, erect, light green foliage with light yellow petioles that has a sweet taste which could also be used in salads. Touchstone Gold has intermediate resistance to Cercospora leaf spot/Cb (Cercospora beticola).
SPECIAL VARIETAL REQUIREMENTS
- Sakata do not recommend sowing during April, May and June in areas prone to heavy frost.
- Contact a Sakata area representative for a beetroot sowing guide.
|
CHARACTERISTIC* |
TOUCHSTONE GOLD |
|
KIND |
Yellow novelty beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) |
|
SOWING SEASON |
All year round |
|
MATURITY |
Early to medium Warm season: 70 – 85 days from sowing Cool season: 90 – 105 days from sowing Note: maturity depends on sowing date, production location and seasonal variations |
|
ROOT DIMENSIONS |
Small to medium (25mm – 55mm). Root size is influenced by the plant population |
|
ROOT SHAPE |
Globe |
|
ROOT UNIFORMITY (SHAPE AND SIZE) |
Excellent |
|
EXTERNAL ROOT/SKIN COLOUR |
Orange to gold |
|
INTERNAL ROOT/FLESH COLOUR |
Golden yellow |
|
INTERNAL ZONING |
Very faint, little to none |
|
ROOT SKIN SMOOTHNESS |
Smooth |
|
ROOT TASTE/BRIX (SUGAR CONTENT) |
Sweet, medium to high (10 - 11%) |
|
TAPROOT APPEARANCE |
Short, small and neat |
|
TOP/FOLIAGE HEIGHT |
Medium tall, 30 - 35cm |
|
LEAF/FOLIAGE HEALTH AND HABIT |
Erect/upright |
|
LEAF/FOLIAGE COLOUR AND GLOSS |
Light green with light yellow petioles |
|
PERCENTAGE LEAF PURPLING |
Not applicable |
|
CROWN SIZE |
Small |
|
LEAF ATTACHMENT (SIZE AND STRENGTH) |
Medium and weak to average |
|
BOLTING REACTION |
Very slow to bolt – high tolerance |
|
DISEASE RESISTANCE (SCIENTIFIC) |
Intermediate resistance: Cercospora beticola (Cb) |
|
SUGGESTED SOWING DENSITY |
Density depends on the season, sprout count, size requirement of the roots and the target market/uses of the final product, however we suggest: Pre-pack beetroot: 350 000 - 550 000 seeds per hectare Baby beetroot: 900 000 – 1 200 000 seed per hectare |
|
MARKET USES |
Baby beetroot, bunched and pre-pack |
|
SPECIAL FEATURES, BENEFITS AND REMARKS |
Excellent yellow beetroot variety adapted for all year round production. Excellent colour and taste suitable for raw consumption in fresh salads or as garnish. |