Moie-Moie across the pond

[Tom Wagner]

http://simplygoodfood.co.nz/?p=1158

Perhaps the most striking of the Taewa (Maori Potatoes), Kowiniwini is a waxy potato. The medium deep-set eyes are surrounded by bright yellow while the basic colour of the tubers is a deep purplish-red. The flesh of the tubers is creamy-white and they tend to disintegrate when boiled.
Also Known As: Peruperu, Karuparera, Old Zebra
Frank van Steensel talks about heritage Potatoes and the Kowiniwini.

Anything I can get that is unusual for our area in terms of a New Zealand heirloom would be great to use in breeding heirloom to heirloom. Let me know if you can get a small tuber of Kowiniwini or one of the others to me would be greatly appreciated.

[Medbury Gardens]

Ok, knowing that i got some though to Wendy im sure i can get some to you as well Tom,i'll take a slice off one of my Kowiniwini"s i have in the shed and send it on.

What other ones interest you??

Can you flick on your address in a PM and i'll stick it in my saved folder

[Tom Wagner]

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

[wmontanez]

Tom do you want one tuber from Moie-Moie come this fall? I will ofer you again any TPS of your lines that get berries in my garden. All are OP.

[Tom Wagner]

Wendy, of course!

If you noticed my new topic on Maori potato varieties I think you'll get the idea that the NZ Maori thing is multiprocessing on me.

[Boutique Tomatoes]

If there are still any slots available for hopeful growers of moie-moie, I'd love to give it a try!

[wmontanez]

Note to self

Tom Wagner #4

Marktutt spelling should be Moie-Moie, I putting your name down for #5

[Medbury Gardens]

Tom - you may want to move this to the new thread as it probably suits been there.

Originally Posted by Tom Wagner

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.

King Tuheitia is not reconised by many of the other hapu (sub tribes) around NZ so i wouldn't be to worried about seeking any permission to name any new creations you come up with using Maori heirlooms.

Whats important here is potatoes are not taketake te maori(indigenous) to this land though they did become an important food source to the various hapu's with its introduction by European settlers.

Been of European decent myself i dont like to see Maori given plant patent rights or anything similar over a introduced plant species which as the potato,instead Maori should consider the use of the words below as a honor






[/QUOTE]

[Medbury Gardens]

Tom - you may want to move this to the new thread as it probably suits been there.

Originally Posted by Tom Wagner

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.

King Tuheitia is not reconised by many of the other hapu (sub tribes) around NZ so i wouldn't be to worried about seeking any permission to name any new creations you come up with using Maori heirlooms.

Whats important here is potatoes are nottaketake te maori(indigenous) to this land though they did become an important food source to the various hapu's with its introduction by European settlers.

Been of European decent myself i dont like to see Maori given plant patent rights or anything similar over a introduced plant species which is the potato,instead Maori would consider the use of the words you have chosen as a honor






[/QUOTE]

[Tom Wagner]

I will not ever attempt to patent, or allow something I helped developed to be patented.

If I develop a variety of potato from TPS and it has one or more Maori type potatoes in the pedigree I would like to use a Maori word comprising an attributive adjective modifying a proper noun using the Maori language. It kinda keeps the NZ connection alive for easy historical reference.

I suspect that I could offer up a name without approval but sometimes the very act of asking for approval is part of the story. I could name a potato
Heahea

which means silly in Maori, and pronouce it like HeeHee...the laugh. However I think a name should be more romantic than that. Like New Zealand Mountain Face....
Niu Tīrani Aromaunga

[Indyartist]

Wendy,if you still have a spot, add me to your "Top Ten" list, I'd love to give Moie Moie a try.

[wmontanez]

Indy you are #6

I sure hope this little slip do well and produce enough little tubers to share

[wmontanez]

Note to self
AZGirl #7

[wingnut]

patience....grasshopperette.remember the story of the gold egg laying goose!

[TZ-OH6]

I don't want one and if given won't accept. Too many things could go wrong here. The last "valuable" potato plant I had died a horrible death after a nearly newborn baby deer squeezed under the fence and stepped on it while sight seeing.