The potato is a starchy food, a

tuber Tubers are a type of enlarged structure used as storage organs for nutrients in some plants. They are used for the plant's perennation (survival of the winter or dry months), to provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growin ...

of the

plant Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclu ...

''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

. The plant is a

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wid ...

in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

can be found from the southern United States to southern Chile. The potato was originally believed to have been domesticated by Native Americans independently in multiple locations,University of Wisconsin-Madison, ''Finding rewrites the evolutionary history of the origin of potatoes'' (2005

/ref> but later genetic studies traced a single origin, in the area of present-day southern Peru and extreme northwestern Bolivia. Potatoes were

domesticated Domestication is a sustained multi-generational relationship in which humans assume a significant degree of control over the reproduction and care of another group of organisms to secure a more predictable supply of resources from that group. A ...

there approximately 7,000–10,000 years ago, from a species in the ''

Solanum brevicaule ''Solanum brevicaule'' is a tuberous perennial plant of the family Solanaceae. The species is native to South America (Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru). It is related to the potato The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanu ...

'' complex. Lay summary: In the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

region of South America, where the species is

indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...

, some close relatives of the potato are cultivated. Potatoes were introduced to Europe from the Americas by the Spanish in the second half of the 16th century. Today they are a staple food in many parts of the world and an integral part of much of the world's

food supply Food security speaks to the availability of food in a country (or geography) and the ability of individuals within that country (geography) to access, afford, and source adequate foodstuffs. According to the United Nations' Committee on World Fo ...

. , potatoes were the world's fourth-largest food crop after

maize Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. The ...

(corn),

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

, and

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

. Following millennia of

selective breeding Selective breeding (also called artificial selection) is the process by which humans use animal breeding and plant breeding to selectively develop particular phenotypic traits (characteristics) by choosing which typically animal or plant m ...

, there are now over 5,000 different types of potatoes. Over 99% of potatoes presently cultivated worldwide descend from varieties that originated in the lowlands of south-central Chile. The importance of the potato as a food source and culinary ingredient varies by region and is still changing. It remains an essential crop in Europe, especially Northern and Eastern Europe, where

per capita ''Per capita'' is a Latin phrase literally meaning "by heads" or "for each head", and idiomatically used to mean "per person". The term is used in a wide variety of social sciences and statistical research contexts, including government statistic ...

production is still the highest in the world, while the most rapid expansion in production since 2000 has occurred in southern and eastern Asia, with China and India leading the world in overall production . Like the

tomato The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...

, the potato is a nightshade in the genus ''Solanum'', and the vegetative and fruiting parts of the potato contain the toxin solanine which is dangerous for human consumption. Normal potato tubers that have been grown and stored properly produce glycoalkaloids in amounts small enough to be negligible to human health, but, if green sections of the plant (namely sprouts and skins) are exposed to light, the tuber can accumulate a high enough concentration of glycoalkaloids to affect human health. The discovery of

acrylamide Acrylamide (or acrylic amide) is an organic compound with the chemical formula CH2=CHC(O)NH2. It is a white odorless solid, soluble in water and several organic solvents. From the chemistry perspective, acrylamide is a vinyl-substituted primary ...

s in starchy foods in 2002 led to international health concerns, but subsequent high-quality evidence showed acrylamide is not likely to cause cancer in humans.

Etymology

The English word ''potato'' comes from Spanish (the name used in Spain). The Royal Spanish Academy says the Spanish word is a hybrid of the

Taíno The Taíno were a historic indigenous people of the Caribbean whose culture has been continued today by Taíno descendant communities and Taíno revivalist communities. At the time of European contact in the late 15th century, they were the pri ...

(' sweet potato') and the

Quechua Quechua may refer to: *Quechua people, several indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru *Quechuan languages, a Native South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language **So ...

('potato'). The name originally referred to the sweet potato although the two plants are not closely related. The 16th-century English herbalist

John Gerard John Gerard (also John Gerarde, c. 1545–1612) was an English herbalist with a large garden in Holborn, now part of London. His 1,484-page illustrated ''Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes'', first published in 1597, became a popular gard ...

referred to sweet potatoes as ''common potatoes'', and used the terms ''bastard potatoes'' and ''Virginia potatoes'' for the species now known as potato. In many of the chronicles detailing agriculture and plants, no distinction is made between the two. Potatoes are occasionally referred to as ''Irish potatoes'' or ''white potatoes'' in the United States, to distinguish them from sweet potatoes. The name ''spud'' for a potato comes from the digging of soil (or a hole) prior to the planting of potatoes. The word has an unknown origin and was originally () used as a term for a short knife or dagger, probably related to the Latin , a word root meaning "sword"; compare Spanish , English "spade", and ''

spadroon A spadroonP. G. W. Annis (1970). ''Naval Swords, British and American Naval Edged Weapons, 1660-1815'', Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books, p. 38. is a light sword with a straight-edged blade, enabling both cut and thrust attacks. This English term ...

''. It subsequently transferred over to a variety of digging tools. Around 1845, the name transferred to the tuber itself, the first record of this usage being in New Zealand English. The origin of the word ''spud'' has erroneously been attributed to an 18th-century activist group dedicated to keeping the potato out of Britain, calling itself the Society for the Prevention of Unwholesome Diet. It was

Mario Pei Mario Andrew Pei (February 16, 1901March 2, 1978) was an Italian-born American linguist and polyglot who wrote a number of popular books known for their accessibility to readers without a professional background in linguistics. His book ''The St ...

's 1949 ''The Story of Language'' that can be blamed for the word's false origin. Pei wrote "the potato, for its part, was in disrepute some centuries ago. Some Englishmen who did not fancy potatoes formed a Society for the Prevention of Unwholesome Diet. The initials of the main words in this title gave rise to spud." Like many other claimed pre-20th century

acronym An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as ...

ic origins, this is false, and there is no evidence that a Society for the Prevention of Unwholesome Diet ever existed. At least seven languages—Afrikaans, Dutch, French, (West) Frisian, Hebrew, Persian and some variants of German—are known to use a term for "potato" that translates roughly (or literally) into English as "earth apple" or "ground apple".

Biology

Taxonomic synonyms

{{collapsible list, * ''Battata tuberosa'' {{small, (L. Hill) * ''Larnax sylvarum'' subsp. ''novogranatensis'' {{small, (N.W.Sawyer) * ''Lycopersicon tuberosum'' {{small, (L. Mill.) * ''Parmentiera edulis'' {{small, (Raf.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' {{small, (Juz. & Bukasov) * ''Solanum andigenum'' convar. ''acutifolium'' {{small, (Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' convar. ''adpressipilosum'' {{small, (Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''alccai-huarmi'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''ancacc-maquin'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''arcuatum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' subsp. ''argentinicum'' {{small, (Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' subsp. ''australiperuvianum'' {{small, (Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' subsp. ''aya-papa'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' var. ''aymaranum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''basiscopum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''bifidum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' var. ''bolivianum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' subsp. ''bolivianum'' {{small, (Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' convar. ''brachistylum'' {{small, (Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' convar. ''brevicalyces'' {{small, (Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' var. ''brevicalyx'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' convar. ''brevipilosum'' {{small, (Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''caesium'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''caiceda'' {{small, (Bukasov) * ''Solanum andigenum'' var. ''carhua'' {{small, (Vargas) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''ccompetillo'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''ccompis'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' var. ''ccusi'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' subsp. ''centraliperuvianum'' {{small, (Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''cevallosii'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''chalcoense'' {{small, (Bukasov) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''chimaco'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' var. ''ckello-huaccoto'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''coeruleum'' {{small, (Lechn. ex Bukasov) * ''Solanum andigenum'' var. ''colombianum'' {{small, (Bukasov) * ''Solanum andigenum'' subsp. ''colombianum'' {{small, ((Bukasov) Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''conicicolumnatum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''cryptostylum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' convar. ''curtibaccatum'' {{small, (Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' var. ''cuzcoense'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' var. ''digitotuberosum'' {{small, (Vargas) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''dilatatum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''discolor'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' subsp. ''ecuatorianum'' {{small, (Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' convar. ''elongatibaccatum'' {{small, (Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''elongatipedicellatum'' {{small, (Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''globosum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' var. ''grauense'' {{small, (Vargas) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''guatemalense'' {{small, (Bukasov) * ''Solanum andigenum'' var. ''hederiforme'' {{small, (Bukasov) * ''Solanum andigenum'' var. ''herrerae'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''huaca-layra'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' var. ''huairuru'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''huallata'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''huaman-uma'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' var. ''imilla'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''incrassatum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' var. ''juninum'' {{small, (Bukasov) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''lanciacuminatum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''lapazense'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' var. ''latius'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''lecke-umo'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''lilacinoflorum'' {{small, (Bukasov) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''lisarassa'' {{small, (Bukasov) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''llutuc-runtum'' {{small, (Lechn. ex Bukasov) * ''Solanum andigenum'' convar. ''longiacuminatum'' {{small, (Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' var. ''longibaccatum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' convar. ''macron'' {{small, (Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''magnicorollatum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' var. ''mexicanum'' {{small, (Bukasov) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''microstigma'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' convar. ''microstigmatum'' {{small, (Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''nodosum'' {{small, (Bukasov) * ''Solanum andigenum'' convar. ''nudiculum'' {{small, (Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' convar. ''obtusiacuminatum'' {{small, (Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''ovatibaccatum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''pacus'' {{small, (Lechn. ex Bukasov) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''pallidum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' var. ''platyantherum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''pomacanchicum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''ppacc-nacha'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''ppaqui'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' convar. ''puca-mata'' {{small, (Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' var. ''quechuanum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' var. ''sihuanum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' var. ''socco-huaccoto'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' convar. ''stenon'' {{small, (Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' var. ''stenophyllum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''sunchchu'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' subsp. ''tarmense'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''tenue'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''tiahuanacense'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' convar. ''titicacense'' {{small, (Lechn.) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''tocanum'' {{small, (Bukasov) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''tolucanum'' {{small, (Bukasov) * ''Solanum andigenum'' f. ''uncuna'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum apurimacense'' {{small, (Vargas) * ''Solanum aracatscha'' {{small, (Besser) * ''Solanum aracc-papa'' {{small, (Juz. ex Rybin) * ''Solanum ascasabii'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum boyacense'' {{small, (Juz. & Bukasov) * ''Solanum caniarense'' {{small, (Juz. & Bukasov) * ''Solanum cardenasii'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum cayeuxi'' {{small, (Berthault) * ''Solanum chariense'' {{small, (A.Chev.) * ''Solanum chaucha'' {{small, (Juz. & Bukasov) * ''Solanum chaucha'' var. ''ccoe-sulla'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum chaucha'' var. ''ckati'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum chaucha'' var. ''khoyllu'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum chaucha'' var. ''puca-suitu'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum chaucha'' f. ''purpureum'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum chaucha'' f. ''roseum'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum chaucha'' var. ''surimana'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum chiloense'' {{small, ((A.DC.) Berthault) * ''Solanum chilotanum'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum chilotanum'' var. ''angustifurcatum'' {{small, (Lechn.) * ''Solanum chilotanum'' f. ''magnicorollatum'' {{small, (Lechn.) * ''Solanum chilotanum'' f. ''parvicorollatum'' {{small, (Lechn.) * ''Solanum chilotanum'' var. ''talukdarii'' {{small, (Lechn.) * ''Solanum chocclo'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum churuspi'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum coeruleiflorum'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum cultum'' {{small, ((A.DC.) Berthault) * ''Solanum diemii'' {{small, (E.Brucher) * ''Solanum dubium'' {{small, (E.H.L.Krause) * ''Solanum erlansonii'' {{small, (Anon.) * ''Solanum esculentum'' {{small, (Neck.) * ''Solanum estradea'' {{small, (L.E.López) * ''Solanum goniocalyx'' {{small, (Juz. & Bukasov) * ''Solanum goniocalyx'' var. ''caeruleum'' {{small, (Vargas) * ''Solanum herrerae'' {{small, (Juz.) * ''Solanum hygrothermicum'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum kesselbrenneri'' {{small, (Juz. & Bukasov) * ''Solanum leptostigma'' {{small, (Juz.) * ''Solanum leptostigma'' {{small, (Juz. ex Bukasov) * ''Solanum macmillanii'' {{small, (Bukasov) * ''Solanum maglia'' var. ''chubutense'' {{small, (Bitter) * ''Solanum maglia'' var. ''guaytecarum'' {{small, (Bitter) * ''Solanum mamilliferum'' {{small, (Juz. & Bukasov) * ''Solanum molinae'' {{small, (Juz.) * ''Solanum oceanicum'' {{small, (Brücher) * ''Solanum ochoanum'' {{small, (Lechn.) * ''Solanum paramoense'' {{small, (Bitter ex Pittier) * ''Solanum parmentieri'' {{small, (Molina ex Walp.) * ''Solanum parvicorollatum'' {{small, (Lechn.) * ''Solanum phureja'' {{small, (Juz. & Bukasov) * ''Solanum phureja'' var. ''caeruleum'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum phureja'' var. ''erlansonii'' {{small, ((Bukasov & Lechnovitch) Ochoa) * ''Solanum phureja'' subsp. ''estradae'' {{small, ((L.E.López) Hawkes) * ''Solanum phureja'' var. ''flavum'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum phureja'' subsp. ''hygrothermicum'' {{small, ((Ochoa) Hawkes) * ''Solanum phureja'' var. ''janck'o-phureja'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum phureja'' var. ''macmillanii'' {{small, ((Bukasov & Lechnovitch) Ochoa) * ''Solanum phureja'' f. ''orbiculatum'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum phureja'' var. ''pujeri'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum phureja'' var. ''rubroroseum'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum phureja'' var. ''sanguineum'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum phureja'' f. ''sayhuanimayo'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum phureja'' f. ''timusi'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum phureja'' f. ''viuda'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum riobambense'' {{small, (Juz. & Bukasov) * ''Solanum rybinii'' {{small, (Juz. & Bukasov) * ''Solanum rybinii'' var. ''bogotense'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum rybinii'' var. ''boyacense'' {{small, ((Juz. & Bukasov) Hawkes) * ''Solanum rybinii'' var. ''pastoense'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum rybinii'' var. ''popayanum'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum sabinei'' {{small, ((A.DC.) Berthault) * ''Solanum sanmartinense'' {{small, (Brücher) * ''Solanum sendigena'' {{small, (Juz. & Bukasov) * ''Solanum sinense'' {{small, (Blanco) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' {{small, (Juz. & Bukasov) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''alcay-imilla'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''canasense'' {{small, (Vargas) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''canastilla'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''catari-papa'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''ccami'' {{small, ((Bukasov) Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' var. ''ccami'' {{small, (Bukasov) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' var. ''chapina'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''chilcas'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''chincherae'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''chojllu'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''cochicallo'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''cohuasa'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''cuchipacon'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' var. ''cyaneum'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''eucaliptae'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' subsp. ''goniocalyx'' {{small, ((Juz. & Bukasov) Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''huallata-chinchi'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''huamanpa-uman'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''huanuchi'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' var. ''huicu'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''kamara'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''kantillero'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' var. ''keccrana'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''kehuillo'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''koso-nahui'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' var. ''megalocalyx'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''negrum'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''orcco-amajaya'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''pallidum'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' var. ''peruanum'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''phinu'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''phitu-huayacas'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''piticana'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' var. ''pitiquilla'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''pitoca'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' var. ''poccoya'' {{small, (Vargas) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''puca'' {{small, (Vargas) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' var. ''puca-lunca'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' var. ''putis'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''roseum'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''tiele'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''yana-cculi'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum stenotomum'' f. ''yuracc'' {{small, (Vargas) * ''Solanum subandigenum'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum sylvestre'' {{small, (Audib. ex Dunal) * ''Solanum tarmense'' {{small, (Bukasov) * ''Solanum tascalense'' {{small, (Brücher) * ''Solanum tenuifilamentum'' {{small, (Juz. & Bukasov) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''acuminatum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''aethiopicum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''alaudinum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''album'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''alkka-imilla'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''alkka-silla'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''amajaya'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' subsp. ''andigenum'' {{small, ((Juz. & Bukasov) Hawkes) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''anglicum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''araucanum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''auriculatum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''azul-runa'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''batatinum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''bertuchii'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''borsdorfianum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''brachyceras'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''brachykalukon'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''brevipapillosum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''brevipilosum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''bufoninum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''californicum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''camota'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''cepinum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''chaped'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''chiar-lelekkoya'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''chiar-pala'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' subsp. ''chiloense'' {{small, ((A.DC.) L.I.Kostina) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''chiloense'' {{small, (A.DC.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''chilotanum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''chojo-sajama'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''chubutense'' {{small, ((Bitter) Hawkes) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''conicum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''conocarpum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''contortum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''coraila'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''cordiforme'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''corsicanum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''crassifilamentum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''crassipedicellatum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''cucumerinum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''cultum'' * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''drakeanum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''elegans'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''elongatum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''elongatum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''enode'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''erythroceras'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''fragariinum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''guaytecarum'' {{small, ((Bitter) Hawkes) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''hassicum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''helenanum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''hispanicum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''holsaticum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''huaca-zapato'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''huichinkka'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''indianum'' {{small, (Lechn. ex Bukasov) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''infectum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''isla-imilla'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''jancck'o-kkoyllu'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''janck'o-chockella'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''janck'o-pala'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''julianum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''kaunitzii'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''kunurana'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''laram-lelekkoya'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''latum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''laurentianum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''lelekkoya'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''leonhardianum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''mahuinhue'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''malcachu'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''melanoceras'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''menapianum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''merceri'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''milagro'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''montticum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''multibaccatum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''murukewillu'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''nigrum'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''nobile'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''norfolcicum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''nucinum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''oculosum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''ovatum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''overita'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''palatinatum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''pecorum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''peruvianum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''pichuna'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''pillicuma'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''platyceras'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''polemoniifolium'' {{small, (J.Rémy) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''praecox'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''praedicandum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''pulo'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''putscheanum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''recurvatum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''reniforme'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''rockii'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''rossicum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''rubrisuturatum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''rugiorum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''runa'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''sabinei'' {{small, (A.DC.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''saccharatum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''salamandrinum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''sani-imilla'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''schnittspahnii'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''sebastianum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''sesquimensale'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''sicha'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''sipancachi'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''strobilinum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''surico'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''taraco'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''tener'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''tenuipedicellatum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''thalassinum'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''tinctorium'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''tinguipaya'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''ulmense'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''versicolor'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''villaroella'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''viride'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''vuchefeldicum'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''vulgare'' {{small, (Macloskie) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''vulgare'' {{small, (Hook.f.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''wila-huaycku'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''wila-imilla'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''wila-k'oyu'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''wila-monda'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''wila-pala'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''xanthoceras'' {{small, (Alef.) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' f. ''yurac-taraco'' {{small, (Ochoa) * ''Solanum tuberosum'' var. ''yutuense'' {{small, (Bukasov & Lechn.) * ''Solanum utile'' {{small, (Klotzsch) * ''Solanum yabari'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum yabari'' var. ''cuzcoense'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum yabari'' var. ''pepino'' {{small, (Hawkes) * ''Solanum zykinii'' {{small, (Lechn.)

Description

Potato plants are herbaceous

s that grow about {{cvt, 60, cm, in high, depending on variety, with the leaves dying back after flowering, fruiting and tuber formation. They bear white, pink, red, blue, or purple

flowers A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

with yellow stamens. Potatoes are mostly

cross-pollinated Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by wind. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, birds, a ...

by insects such as

bumblebee A bumblebee (or bumble bee, bumble-bee, or humble-bee) is any of over 250 species in the genus ''Bombus'', part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct related genera ...

s, which carry pollen from other potato plants, though a substantial amount of self-fertilizing occurs as well. Tubers form in response to decreasing day length, although this tendency has been minimized in commercial varieties. After flowering, potato plants produce small green fruits that resemble green

cherry tomato The cherry tomato is a type of small round tomato believed to be an intermediate genetic admixture between wild currant-type tomatoes and domesticated garden tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes range in size from a thumbtip up to the size of a golf bal ...

es, each containing about 300

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

s. Like all parts of the plant except the tubers, the fruit contain the toxic

alkaloid Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of similar ...

solanine and are therefore unsuitable for consumption. All new potato varieties are grown from seeds, also called "true potato seed", "TPS" or "botanical seed" to distinguish it from seed tubers. New varieties grown from seed can be propagated vegetatively by planting tubers, pieces of tubers cut to include at least one or two eyes, or cuttings, a practice used in greenhouses for the production of healthy seed tubers. Plants propagated from tubers are clones of the parent, whereas those propagated from seed produce a range of different varieties. Garden potatoes

Potatoes, both ''S. tuberosum'' and most of its wild relatives, are

self-incompatible Self-incompatibility (SI) is a general name for several genetic mechanisms that prevent self-fertilization in sexually reproducing organisms, and thus encourage outcrossing and allogamy. It is contrasted with separation of sexes among individuals ...

: they bear no useful fruit when self-pollinated. This trait is problematic for crop breeding, as all sexually-produced plants must be hybrids. The gene responsible for its trait as well as mutations to disable it are now known. Self-compatibility has successfully been introduced both to diploid potatoes (including a special line of ''S. tuberosum'') by

CRISPR-Cas9 Cas9 (CRISPR associated protein 9, formerly called Cas5, Csn1, or Csx12) is a 160 kilodalton protein which plays a vital role in the immunological defense of certain bacteria against DNA viruses and plasmids, and is heavily utilized in genetic ...

. Plants having a 'Sli' gene produce pollen which is compatible to its own parent and plants with similar S genes.{{cite journal, last1=Hosaka, first1=Kazuyoshi, last2=Hanneman, first2=Robert E. Jr., title=Genetics of self-compatibility in a self-incompatible wild diploid potato species ''Solanum chacoense''. 1. Detection of an S locus inhibitor (Sli) gene , journal= Euphytica, publisher= Springer Science and Business Media LLC, volume=99, issue=3, year=1998, issn=0014-2336, doi=10.1023/a:1018353613431, pages=191–197, s2cid=40678039 , url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1018353613431 This gene was recently cloned by

Wageningen University Wageningen University & Research (also known as Wageningen UR; abbreviation: WUR) is a public university in Wageningen, Netherlands, specializing in life sciences with a focus on agriculture, technical and engineering subjects. It is a globally ...

and Solynta in 2021, which would allow for faster and more focused breeding.{{cite journal, last1=Eggers, first1=Ernst-Jan, last2=Burgt, first2=van der, last3=Heusden, first3=van, last4=W., first4=Sjaak A., last5=Vries, first5=de, last6=E., first6=Michiel, last7=Visser, first7=Richard G. F., last8=Bachem, first8=Christian W. B., last9=Lindhout, first9=Pim, title=Neofunctionalisation of the Sli gene leads to self-compatibility and facilitates precision breeding in potato, journal=

Nature Communications ''Nature Communications'' is a peer-reviewed, open access, scientific journal published by Nature Portfolio since 2010. It is a multidisciplinary journal and it covers the natural sciences, including physics, chemistry, earth sciences, medici ...

, volume=12, issue=1, date=2021-07-06, page=4141 , issn=2041-1723, doi=10.1038/s41467-021-24267-6, pmid=34230471 , pmc=8260583 , bibcode=2021NatCo..12.4141E This study... {{cite journal, last1=Ma, first1=Ling, last2=Zhang, first2=Chunzhi, last3=Zhang, first3=Bo, last4=Tang, first4=Fei, last5=Li, first5=Futing, last6=Liao, first6=Qinggang, last7=Tang, first7=Die, last8=Peng, first8=Zhen, last9=Jia, first9=Yuxin, last10=Gao, first10=Meng, last11=Guo, first11=Han, last12=Zhang, first12=Jinzhe, last13=Luo, first13=Xuming, last14=Yang, first14=Huiqin, last15=Gao, first15=Dongli, last16=Lucas, first16=William J., last17=Li, first17=Canhui, last18=Huang, first18=Sanwen, last19=Shang, first19=Yi, title=A nonS-locus F-box gene breaks self-incompatibility in diploid potatoes, journal=

, publisher=

Nature Portfolio Nature Portfolio (formerly known as Nature Publishing Group and Nature Research) is a division of the international scientific publishing company Springer Nature that publishes academic journals, magazines, online databases, and services in sc ...

, volume=12, issue=1, date=2021-07-06, page=4142 , issn=2041-1723, doi=10.1038/s41467-021-24266-7, pmid=34230469 , pmc=8260799 , bibcode=2021NatCo..12.4142M ...is cited by this review: {{ Cite journal , language = en , year = 2022 , volume = 69 , publisher = Elsevier Ltd. , first4 = Kentaro , first3 = Kanae , first2 = Katharina , first1 = Takashi , last4 = Shimizu , last3 = Masuda , last2 = Jung , last1 = Akagi , pages = 102255 , journal =

Current Opinion in Plant Biology Currents, Current or The Current may refer to: Science and technology * Current (fluid), the flow of a liquid or a gas ** Air current, a flow of air ** Ocean current, a current in the ocean *** Rip current, a kind of water current ** Current (stre ...

, issn = 1369-5266 , title = Polyploidy before and after domestication of crop species , pmid = 35870416 , s2cid = 250962663 , doi = 10.1016/j.pbi.2022.102255 Diploid hybrid potato breeding is a recent area of potato genetics supported by the finding that

homozygous Zygosity (the noun, zygote, is from the Greek "yoked," from "yoke") () is the degree to which both copies of a chromosome or gene have the same genetic sequence. In other words, it is the degree of similarity of the alleles in an organism. Mo ...

fixation of donor alleles is possible.{{cite journal, last1=Lindhout, first1=Pim, last2=Meijer, first2=Dennis, last3=Schotte, first3=Theo, last4=Hutten, first4=Ronald C. B., last5=Visser, first5=Richard G. F., last6=van Eck, first6=Herman J., title=Towards F1 Hybrid Seed Potato Breeding, journal=

Potato Research ''Potato Research: Journal of the European Association for Potato Research'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed scientific journal covering all aspects of the production and use of potatoes. It was established in 1958 as the ''European Potato Journal'', ...

, publisher= Springer Science and Business Media LLC, volume=54, issue=4, year=2011, issn=0014-3065, doi=10.1007/s11540-011-9196-z, pages=301–312, s2cid=39719359

Genetics

There are about 5,000 potato varieties worldwide. Three thousand of them are found in the Andes alone, mainly in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, and Colombia. They belong to eight or nine species, depending on the taxonomic school. Apart from the 5,000 cultivated varieties, there are about 200 wild species and subspecies, many of which can be cross-bred with cultivated varieties. Cross-breeding has been done repeatedly to transfer resistances to certain pests and diseases from the gene pool of wild species to the gene pool of cultivated potato species. Russet potato cultivar with sprouts

The major species grown worldwide is ''Solanum tuberosum'' (a

tetraploid Polyploidy is a condition in which the cells of an organism have more than one pair of ( homologous) chromosomes. Most species whose cells have nuclei (eukaryotes) are diploid, meaning they have two sets of chromosomes, where each set contains ...

with 48

chromosome A chromosome is a long DNA molecule with part or all of the genetic material of an organism. In most chromosomes the very long thin DNA fibers are coated with packaging proteins; in eukaryotic cells the most important of these proteins are ...

s), and modern varieties of this species are the most widely cultivated. There are also four diploid species (with 24 chromosomes): ''S.{{nbspstenotomum'', ''S.{{nbspphureja'', ''S.{{nbspgoniocalyx'', and ''S.{{nbspajanhuiri''. There are two triploid species (with 36 chromosomes): ''S.{{nbspchaucha'' and ''S.{{nbspjuzepczukii''. There is one pentaploid cultivated species (with 60 chromosomes): ''S.{{nbspcurtilobum''. There are two major subspecies of ''Solanum tuberosum'': ''andigena'', or Andean; and ''tuberosum'', or Chilean. The Andean potato is adapted to the short-day conditions prevalent in the mountainous equatorial and tropical regions where it originated; the Chilean potato, however, native to the

Chiloé Archipelago The Chiloé Archipelago ( es, Archipiélago de Chiloé, , ) is a group of islands lying off the coast of Chile, in the Los Lagos Region. It is separated from mainland Chile by the Chacao Channel in the north, the Sea of Chiloé in the east and t ...

, is adapted to the long-day conditions prevalent in the higher latitude region of southern Chile.{{cite journal, url=https://scielo.conicyt.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0717-34582007000300011 , title=Molecular description and similarity relationships among native germplasm potatoes (''Solanum tuberosum'' ssp. ''tuberosum'' L.) using morphological data and AFLP markers , journal= Electronic Journal of Biotechnology , volume=10 , issue=3 , pages=436–443 , access-date=6 December 2009, doi=10.2225/vol10-issue3-fulltext-14 , date=July 2007 , last1=Anabalón Rodríguez , first1=Leonardo , last2=Morales Ulloa , first2=Daniza , last3=Solano Solis , first3=Jaime , hdl=10925/320 , hdl-access=free The

International Potato Center The International Potato Center (known as CIP from its Spanish-language name ''Centro Internacional de la Papa'') is a research facility based in Lima, Peru, that seeks to reduce poverty and achieve food security on a sustained basis in dev ...

, based in Lima, Peru, holds 4,870 types of potato

germplasm Germplasm are living genetic resources such as seeds or tissues that are maintained for the purpose of animal and plant breeding, preservation, and other research uses. These resources may take the form of seed collections stored in seed banks, t ...

, most of which are traditional

landrace A landrace is a domesticated, locally adapted, often traditional variety of a species of animal or plant that has developed over time, through adaptation to its natural and cultural environment of agriculture and pastoralism, and due to isolatio ...

cultivars. The international Potato Genome Sequencing Consortium announced in 2009 that they had achieved a draft sequence of the potato genome, containing 12 chromosomes and 860 million base pairs, making it a medium-sized plant genome. More than 99 percent of all current

varieties Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

of potatoes currently grown are direct descendants of a subspecies that once grew in the

lowland Upland and lowland are conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level. In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland or lowland. Definitions Upland and lowland are portions of p ...

s of south-central

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

.{{cite web , url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080129160727.htm , title=Using DNA, Scientists Hunt For The Roots Of The Modern Potato , author=Story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by

University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...

, publisher=ScienceDaily (with information from a report originally appearing in the

American Journal of Botany The ''American Journal of Botany'' is a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal which covers all aspects of plant biology. It has been published by the Botanical Society of America since 1914. The journal has an impact factor of 3.038, as of 2019 ...

) , date=4 February 2008 , access-date=27 August 2011 Nonetheless, genetic testing of the wide variety of

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

s and wild species affirms that all potato subspecies derive from a single

origin Origin(s) or The Origin may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Comics and manga * ''Origin'' (comics), a Wolverine comic book mini-series published by Marvel Comics in 2002 * ''The Origin'' (Buffy comic), a 1999 ''Buffy the Vampire Sl ...

in the area of present-day southern

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

and extreme Northwestern Bolivia (from a species in the ''Solanum brevicaule'' complex). Most modern potatoes grown in North America arrived through European settlement and not independently from the South American sources, although at least one wild potato species, ''

Solanum fendleri ''Solanum'' is a large and diverse genus of flowering plants, which include three food crops of high economic importance: the potato, the tomato and the eggplant (aubergine, brinjal). It is the largest genus in the nightshade family Solanaceae ...

'', naturally ranges from Peru into Texas, where it is used in breeding for resistance to a nematode species that attacks cultivated potatoes. A secondary center of genetic variability of the potato is Mexico, where important wild species that have been used extensively in modern breeding are found, such as the hexaploid ''

Solanum demissum ''Solanum demissum'' is a species of wild potato in the family Solanaceae, native to Mexico and Guatemala. It has been extensively used as a source of alleles for resistance to ''Phytophthora infestans'', the cause of late potato blight, to impro ...

'', as a source of resistance to the devastating late blight disease.{{Cite journal, title=Potato and tomato late blight caused by ''Phytophthora infestans'': An overview of pathology and resistance breeding , last1=Nowicki, first1=Marcin, date=17 August 2011, doi= 10.1094/PDIS-05-11-0458, pmid=30731850, last2=Foolad, first2=Majid R., last3=Nowakowska, first3=Marzena, last4=Kozik , first4=Elzbieta U., journal=

Plant Disease Plant pathology (also phytopathology) is the scientific study of diseases in plants caused by pathogens (infectious organisms) and environmental conditions (physiological factors). Organisms that cause infectious disease include fungi, oomy ...

, publisher=

American Phytopathological Society The American Phytopathological Society (APS) is an international scientific organization devoted to the study of plant diseases (phytopathology). APS promotes the advancement of modern concepts in the science of plant pathology and in plant healt ...

(APS), volume=96, issue=1, pages=4–17, display-authors=etal, doi-access=free Another relative native to this region, '' Solanum bulbocastanum'', has been used to genetically engineer the potato to resist potato blight.

Varieties

{{further, List of potato cultivars There are close to 4,000 varieties of potatoes, each of which has specific agricultural or culinary attributes. Around 80 varieties are commercially available in the UK. In general, varieties are categorized into a few main groups based on common characteristics, such as russet potatoes (rough brown skin), red potatoes, white potatoes, yellow potatoes (also called Yukon potatoes) and purple potatoes. Potato cells dyed for starch

For culinary purposes, varieties are often differentiated by their waxiness: floury or mealy ''baking'' potatoes have more starch (20–22%) than waxy ''boiling'' potatoes (16–18%). The distinction may also arise from variation in the comparative ratio of two different potato starch compounds:

amylose Amylose is a polysaccharide made of α-D-glucose units, bonded to each other through α(1→4) glycosidic bonds. It is one of the two components of starch, making up approximately 20–30%. Because of its tightly packed helical structure, amylose ...

and

amylopectin Amylopectin is a water-insoluble polysaccharide and highly branched polymer of α-glucose units found in plants. It is one of the two components of starch, the other being amylose. Plants store starch within specialized organelles called amyloplas ...

. Amylose, a long-chain molecule, diffuses from the starch granule when cooked in water, and lends itself to dishes where the potato is mashed. Varieties that contain a slightly higher amylopectin content, which is a highly branched molecule, help the potato retain its shape after being boiled in water. Potatoes that are good for making

potato chip A potato chip (North American English; often just chip) or crisp (British and Irish English) is a thin slice of potato that has been either deep fried, baked, or air fried until crunchy. They are commonly served as a snack, side dish, or ap ...

s or potato crisps are sometimes called "chipping potatoes", which means they meet the basic requirements of similar varietal characteristics, being firm, fairly clean, and fairly well-shaped. Immature potatoes may be sold fresh from the field as "creamer" or "new" potatoes{{anchor, creamer potatoes, new potatoes and are particularly valued for their taste. They are typically small in size and tender, with a loose skin, and flesh containing a lower level of starch than other potatoes. In the United States they are generally either a Yukon Gold potato or a red potato, called gold creamers or red creamers respectively.{{cite web, url=http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-term/t--35863/creamer-potato.asp, title=Creamer Potato, publisher=recipetips.com, access-date=18 July 2008 In the UK, the Jersey Royal is a famous type of new potato. They are distinct from "baby", "salad" or " fingerling" potatoes, which are small and tend to have waxy flesh, but are grown to maturity and can be stored for months before being sold. The European Cultivated Potato Database (ECPD) is an online collaborative database of potato variety descriptions that is updated and maintained by the

Scottish Agricultural Science Agency SASA (formerly the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency) is a division of the Scottish Government Agriculture and Rural Delivery Directorate. It provides scientific advice and support on a range of agricultural and environmental topics to the ...

within the framework of the European Cooperative Programme for Crop Genetic Resources Networks (ECP/GR)—which is run by the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI).

Pigmentation

Dozens of potato

s have been

selectively bred Selective breeding (also called artificial selection) is the process by which humans use animal breeding and plant breeding to selectively develop particular phenotypic traits (characteristics) by choosing which typically animal or plant m ...

specifically for their skin or, more commonly, flesh

color Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are assoc ...

, including gold, red, and blue varieties that contain varying amounts of phytochemicals, including

carotenoids Carotenoids (), also called tetraterpenoids, are yellow, orange, and red organic pigments that are produced by plants and algae, as well as several bacteria, and fungi. Carotenoids give the characteristic color to pumpkins, carrots, parsnips, co ...

for gold/yellow or

polyphenol Polyphenols () are a large family of naturally occurring organic compounds characterized by multiples of phenol units. They are abundant in plants and structurally diverse. Polyphenols include flavonoids, tannic acid, and ellagitannin, some o ...

s for red or blue cultivars.{{cite journal, last1=Hirsch , first1=C.N., last2=Hirsch, first2=C.D., last3=Felcher, first3=K, last4=Coombs, first4=J, last5=Zarka, first5=D, last6=Van Deynze, first6=A, last7=De Jong, first7=W, last8=Veilleux , first8=R.E. , last9=Jansky, first9=S, year=2013, title=Retrospective View of North American Potato (''Solanum tuberosum'' L.) Breeding in the 20th and 21st Centuries, journal= G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics , volume=3, issue=6, pages=1003–13, doi=10.1534/g3.113.005595, pmc=3689798, last10=Bethke, first10=P, last11=Douches, first11=D.S. , last12=Buell, first12=C.R., pmid=23589519 Carotenoid compounds include

provitamin A A provitamin is a substance that may be converted within the body to a vitamin. The term previtamin is a synonym. The term "provitamin" is used when it is desirable to label a substance with little or no vitamin activity, but which can be converted ...

alpha-carotene and beta-carotene, which are converted to the essential nutrient,

vitamin A Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin and an essential nutrient for humans. It is a group of organic compounds that includes retinol, retinal (also known as retinaldehyde), retinoic acid, and several provitamin A carotenoids (most notably ...

, during digestion. Anthocyanins mainly responsible for red or blue pigmentation in potato cultivars do not have nutritional significance, but are used for visual variety and consumer appeal. In 2010, potatoes were

bioengineered Biological engineering or bioengineering is the application of principles of biology and the tools of engineering to create usable, tangible, economically-viable products. Biological engineering employs knowledge and expertise from a number o ...

specifically for these pigmentation traits.

Genetically engineered potatoes

{{Main, Genetically engineered potato Genetic research has produced several

genetically modified Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including ...

varieties. 'New Leaf', owned by Monsanto Company, incorporates genes from '' Bacillus thuringiensis'', which confers resistance to the

Colorado potato beetle The Colorado potato beetle (''Leptinotarsa decemlineata''), also known as the Colorado beetle, the ten-striped spearman, the ten-lined potato beetle, or the potato bug, is a major pest of potato crops. It is about long, with a bright yellow/o ...

; 'New Leaf Plus' and 'New Leaf Y', approved by US regulatory agencies during the 1990s, also include resistance to viruses.

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...

, Burger King,

Frito-Lay Frito-Lay is an American subsidiary of PepsiCo that manufactures, markets, and sells corn chips, potato chips, and other snack foods. The primary snack food brands produced under the Frito-Lay name include Fritos corn chips, Cheetos cheese-fla ...

, and

Procter & Gamble The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/consumer he ...

announced they would not use genetically modified potatoes, and Monsanto published its intent to discontinue the line in March 2001. Potato starch contains two types of glucan,

and

, the latter of which is most industrially useful. Waxy potato varieties produce

waxy potato starch Waxy potato starch is a variety of commercially available starch composed almost entirely of amylopectin molecules, extracted from new potato varieties. Standard starch extracted from traditional potato varieties contains both amylose and amylopect ...

, which is almost entirely amylopectin, with little or no amylose.

BASF BASF SE () is a German multinational chemical company and the largest chemical producer in the world. Its headquarters is located in Ludwigshafen, Germany. The BASF Group comprises subsidiaries and joint ventures in more than 80 countries ...

developed the

Amflora Amflora (also known as EH92-527-1) is a genetically modified potato cultivar developed by BASF Plant Science. "Amflora" potato plants produce pure amylopectin starch that is processed to waxy potato starch. It was approved for industrial applica ...

potato, which was modified to express antisense RNA to inactivate the gene for granule bound starch synthase, an enzyme which catalyzes the formation of amylose. Amflora potatoes therefore produce starch consisting almost entirely of

, and are thus more useful for the starch industry. In 2010, the European Commission cleared the way for 'Amflora' to be grown in the European Union for industrial purposes only—not for food. Nevertheless, under EU rules, individual countries have the right to decide whether they will allow this potato to be grown on their territory. Commercial planting of 'Amflora' was expected in the Czech Republic and Germany in the spring of 2010, and Sweden and the Netherlands in subsequent years. Another GM potato variety developed by BASF is 'Fortuna' which was made resistant to

late blight ''Phytophthora infestans'' is an oomycete or water mold, a fungus-like microorganism that causes the serious potato and tomato disease known as late blight or potato blight. Early blight, caused by ''Alternaria solani'', is also often called " ...

by adding two resistance genes, {{ Visible anchor, blb1 and {{ Visible anchor, blb2, which originate from the Mexican wild potato ''Solanum bulbocastanum''.{{ Clarify, date=December 2022, reason=Is this the same as #Rpi-blb1 below? If so these two should be next to each other, so this should be moved to that section or vice versa. In October 2011 BASF requested cultivation and marketing approval as a feed and food from the EFSA. In 2012, GMO development in Europe was stopped by BASF. In November 2014, the USDA approved a genetically modified potato developed by

J.R. Simplot Company The J. R. Simplot Company (commonly referred to as Simplot) is an agribusiness company headquartered in Boise, Idaho. History Simplot was founded in 1929 by 20-year-old John Richard Simplot near the agricultural community of Declo in south ...

, which contains genetic modifications that prevent bruising and produce less

when fried than conventional potatoes; the modifications do not cause new proteins to be made, but rather prevent proteins from being made via

RNA interference RNA interference (RNAi) is a biological process in which RNA molecules are involved in sequence-specific suppression of gene expression by double-stranded RNA, through translational or transcriptional repression. Historically, RNAi was known by ...

. Genetically modified varieties have met public resistance in the United States and in the European Union.{{cite news , title=A genetically modified potato, not for eating, is stirring some opposition in Europe , work=

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

, url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/24/business/worldbusiness/24spuds.html , access-date=15 November 2008 , first=Elisabeth , last=Rosenthal , date=24 July 2007

Biosynthesis of starch

Sucrose is a product of photosynthesis. Ferreira ''et al.'' (2010) found that the genes for starch biosynthesis start to be transcribed at the same time as sucrose synthase activity begins. This transcription – including starch synthase – also shows a diurnal rhythm, correlating with the sucrose supply arriving from the leaves.{{cite journal , last1=Zierer , first1=Wolfgang , last2=Rüscher , first2=David , last3=Sonnewald , first3=Uwe , last4=Sonnewald , first4=Sophia , title=Tuber and Tuberous Root Development , journal=

Annual Review of Plant Biology ''Annual Review of Plant Biology'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Annual Reviews. It was first published in 1950 as the ''Annual Review of Plant Physiology''. Sabeeha Merchant has been the editor since 2005, making her the lo ...

, publisher= Annual Reviews , volume=72 , issue=1 , date=2021-06-17 , issn=1543-5008 , doi=10.1146/annurev-arplant-080720-084456 , pages=551–580, pmid=33788583 , s2cid=232482246

History

{{Main, History of the potato The potato was first domesticated in the region of modern-day southern

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

and northwestern Bolivia by pre-Columbian farmers, around

Lake Titicaca Lake Titicaca (; es, Lago Titicaca ; qu, Titiqaqa Qucha) is a large freshwater lake in the Andes mountains on the border of Bolivia and Peru. It is often called the highest navigable lake in the world. By volume of water and by surface area, i ...

. It has since spread around the world and become a

staple crop A staple food, food staple, or simply a staple, is a food that is eaten often and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a standard diet for a given person or group of people, supplying a large fraction of energy needs and ...

in many countries. The earliest archaeologically verified potato tuber remains have been found at the coastal site of

Ancon Ancon Ltd is a company that designs and manufactures stainless steel products for the construction industry founded and still based in Sheffield, United Kingdom. The main products being "Wall Tie", and brickwork support systems. Ancon is part o ...

(central

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

), dating to 2500 BC. The most widely cultivated variety, ''

Solanum tuberosum tuberosum The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern United S ...

'', is indigenous to the

, and has been cultivated by the local

indigenous people Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

since before the

Spanish conquest The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its predece ...

. According to conservative estimates, the introduction of the potato was responsible for a quarter of the growth in Old World population and urbanization between 1700 and 1900. In the Altiplano, potatoes provided the principal energy source for the

Inca civilization The Incas were most notable for establishing the Inca Empire in Pre-Columbian America, which was centered in modern day South America in Peru and Chile. It was about 2,500 miles from the northern to southern tip. The civilization lasted from 1 ...

, its predecessors, and its Spanish successor. Following the

Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire The Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire, also known as the Conquest of Peru, was one of the most important campaigns in the Spanish colonization of the Americas. After years of preliminary exploration and military skirmishes, 168 Spanish sol ...

, the Spanish introduced the potato to Europe in the second half of the 16th century, part of the Columbian exchange. The staple was subsequently conveyed by European (possibly including

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

) mariners to territories and ports throughout the world, especially their colonies.{{cite book , last=Sauer , first=Jonathan , title=Historical Geography of Crop Plants : a Select Roster , publisher= CRC Press , publication-place=

Boca Raton, FL Boca Raton ( ; es, Boca Ratón, link=no, ) is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It was first incorporated on August 2, 1924, as "Bocaratone," and then incorporated as "Boca Raton" in 1925. The population was 97,422 in the ...

, year=2017 , isbn=978-0-203-75190-9 , oclc=1014382952 , page=320 {{isbn, 9780849389016 {{isbn, 9781351440622 {{isbn, 9781351440615 {{isbn, 9781351440639 {{isbn, 9780367449872 The potato was slow to be adopted by European and colonial farmers, but after 1750 it became an important food staple and field crop and played a major role in the European 19th century population boom. However, lack of genetic diversity, due to the very limited number of varieties initially introduced, left the crop vulnerable to disease. In 1845, a plant disease known as late blight, caused by the fungus-like

oomycete Oomycota forms a distinct phylogenetic lineage of fungus-like eukaryotic microorganisms, called oomycetes (). They are filamentous and heterotrophic, and can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Sexual reproduction of an oospore is the resul ...

Phytophthora infestans ''Phytophthora infestans'' is an oomycete or water mold, a fungus-like microorganism that causes the serious potato and tomato disease known as late blight or potato blight. Early blight, caused by '' Alternaria solani'', is also often called "p ...

'', spread rapidly through the poorer communities of western

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

as well as parts of the

Scottish Highlands The Highlands ( sco, the Hielands; gd, a’ Ghàidhealtachd , 'the place of the Gaels') is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland S ...

, resulting in the crop failures that led to the Great Irish Famine. However, thousands of varieties still persist in the Andes , where over 100 cultivars might be found in a single valley, and a dozen or more might be maintained by a single agricultural household.

Production

{{main, List of countries by potato production {, class="wikitable floatright" style="float:right; clear:left; width:18em;" , - ! colspan=2, Potato production – 2020 , - ! style="background:#ddf; width:75%;", Country ! style="background:#ddf; width:25%;", Production (millions of

tonne The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the short ton ( United State ...

s) , - , style="text-align: center;" , {{CHN , , style="text-align: center;" , 78.2 , - , style="text-align: center;" , {{IND , , style="text-align: center;" , 51.3 , - , style="text-align: center;" , {{RUS , , style="text-align: center;" , 22.5 , - , style="text-align: center;" , {{UKR , , style="text-align: center;" , 19.6 , - , style="text-align: center;" , {{USA , , style="text-align: center;" , 18.8 , - , style="text-align: center;" , World , , style="text-align: center;" , 359.1 , - , colspan=2 style="text-align: center;" , Source: FAOSTAT of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

{{cite web, url=https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL, title=Potato production in 2020 Region/World/Production Quantity/Crops from pick lists, publisher=UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Statistics Division (FAOSTAT), date=2022, access-date=7 January 2022 Production of potatoes (2019)

In 2020, world production of potatoes was 359 million

s, led by China with 22% of the total (table). Other major producers were India, Russia, Ukraine and the United States. It remains an essential crop in Europe (especially northern and eastern Europe), where per capita production is still the highest in the world, but the most rapid expansion over the past few decades has occurred in southern and eastern Asia.

Nutrition

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, a typical raw potato is 79% water, 17% carbohydrates (88% is starch), 2%

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, res ...

, and contains negligible

fat In nutrition, biology, and chemistry, fat usually means any ester of fatty acids, or a mixture of such compounds, most commonly those that occur in living beings or in food. The term often refers specifically to triglycerides (triple est ...

(see table). In a {{convert, 100, g, oz, frac=2, adj=on portion, raw potato provides {{convert, 322, kJ, kcal, abbr=off of food energy and is a rich source of

vitamin B6 Vitamin B6 is one of the B vitamins, and thus an essential nutrient. The term refers to a group of six chemically similar compounds, i.e., " vitamers", which can be interconverted in biological systems. Its active form, pyridoxal 5′-phosp ...

and

vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits and vegetables, also sold as a dietary supplement and as a topical 'serum' ingredient to treat melasma (dark pigment spots) ...

(23% and 24% of the

Daily Value The Reference Daily Intake (RDI) used in nutrition labeling on food and dietary supplement products in the U.S. and Canada is the daily intake level of a nutrient that is considered to be sufficient to meet the requirements of 97–98% of healthy ...

, respectively), with no other vitamins or minerals in significant amount (see table). The potato is rarely eaten raw because raw potato starch is poorly digested by humans. When a potato is baked, its contents of vitamin B6 and vitamin C decline notably, while there is little significant change in the amount of other nutrients. Potatoes are often broadly classified as having a high

glycemic index The glycemic (glycaemic) index (GI; ) is a number from 0 to 100 assigned to a food, with pure glucose arbitrarily given the value of 100, which represents the relative rise in the blood glucose level two hours after consuming that food. The GI of ...

(GI) and so are often excluded from the diets of individuals trying to follow a low-GI diet. The GI of potatoes can vary considerably depending on the cultivar, growing conditions and storage, preparation methods (by cooking method, whether it is eaten hot or cold, whether it is mashed or cubed or consumed whole), and accompanying foods consumed (especially the addition of various high-fat or high-protein toppings). Consuming reheated or pre-cooked and cooled potatoes may yield a lower GI effect due to the formation of

resistant starch Resistant starch (RS) is starch, including its degradation products, that escapes from digestion in the small intestine of healthy individuals. Resistant starch occurs naturally in foods, but it can also be added as part of dried raw foods, or use ...

.{{cite journal, vauthors=Fernandes G, Velangi A, Wolever TM , year=2005, title=Glycemic index of potatoes commonly consumed in North America, journal= Journal of the American Dietetic Association, volume=105, pages=557–62, doi=10.1016/j.jada.2005.01.003, pmid=15800557, issue=4 In the UK, potatoes are not considered by the

National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...

(NHS) as counting or contributing towards the recommended daily five portions of fruit and vegetables, the 5-A-Day program.

Comparison to other staple foods

This table shows the nutrient content of potatoes next to other major staple foods, each one measured in its respective raw state on a dry weight basis to account for their different water contents, even though staple foods are not commonly eaten raw and are usually sprouted or cooked before eating. In sprouted and cooked form, the relative nutritional and anti-nutritional contents of each of these grains (or other foods) may be different from the values in this table. Each nutrient (every row) has the highest number highlighted to show the staple food with the greatest amount in a dry {{convert, 100, g portion. {{Comparison of major staple foods Potatoes from India

Toxicity

Potatoes contain

toxic Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a subs ...

compounds known as

glycoalkaloid Glycoalkaloids are a family of chemical compounds derived from alkaloids to which sugar groups are appended. Several are potentially toxic, most notably the poisons commonly found in the plant species ''Solanum dulcamara'' (bittersweet nightshade) ...

s, of which the most prevalent are solanine and chaconine. Solanine is found in other plants in the same family, Solanaceae, which includes such plants as deadly nightshade ('' Atropa belladonna''), henbane (''

Hyoscyamus niger ''Hyoscyamus niger'', commonly known as henbane, black henbane, or stinking nightshade, is a poisonous plant in the nightshade family Solanaceae. It is native to temperate Europe and Siberia, and naturalised in Great Britain and Ireland. Histor ...

'') and tobacco ('' Nicotiana spp.''), as well as the food plants eggplant and

. These compounds, which protect the potato plant from its predators, are generally concentrated in its leaves, flowers, sprouts, and fruits (in contrast to the tubers). In a summary of several studies, the glycoalkaloid content was highest in the flowers and sprouts and lowest in the tuber flesh. (The glycoalkaloid content was, in order from highest to lowest: flowers, sprouts, leaves, tuber skin, roots, berries, peel

kin plus outer cortex of tuber flesh __NOTOC__ Kin usually refers to kinship and family. Kin or KIN may also refer to: Culture and religion *Otherkin, people who identify as not entirely human *Kinism, a white supremacist religious movement * Kinh, the majority ethnic group of ...

stems, and tuber flesh). Exposure to light, physical damage, and age increase glycoalkaloid content within the tuber.{{cite web, url=http://www.csiro.au/resources/green-potatoes, title=Greening of potatoes, year=2005 , publisher=Food Science Australia, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111125205141/http://www.csiro.au/resources/green-potatoes, archive-date=25 November 2011, url-status=dead, access-date=15 November 2008 Cooking at high temperatures—over {{cvt, 170, °C, °F—partly destroys these compounds. The concentration of glycoalkaloids in wild potatoes is sufficient to produce toxic effects in humans. Glycoalkaloid poisoning may cause headaches,

diarrhea Diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements each day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin w ...

cramps A cramp is a sudden, involuntary, painful skeletal muscle contraction or overshortening associated with electrical activity; while generally temporary and non-damaging, they can cause significant pain and a paralysis-like immobility of the aff ...

, and, in severe cases, coma and death. However, poisoning from cultivated potato varieties is very rare. Light exposure causes greening from chlorophyll synthesis, giving a visual clue as to which areas of the tuber may have become more toxic. However, this does not provide a definitive guide, as greening and glycoalkaloid accumulation can occur independently of each other. Different potato varieties contain different levels of glycoalkaloids. The Lenape variety was released in 1967 but was withdrawn in 1970 as it contained high levels of glycoalkaloids.{{cite web, url=https://boingboing.net/2013/03/25/the-case-of-the-poison-potato.html, title=The case of the poison potato, publisher=boingboing.net, author=Marggie Koerth-Baker, date=25 March 2013, access-date=8 November 2015, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151108070908/http://boingboing.net/2013/03/25/the-case-of-the-poison-potato.html, archive-date=8 November 2015, url-status=dead Since then, breeders developing new varieties test for this, and sometimes have to discard an otherwise promising

. Breeders try to keep glycoalkaloid levels below {{cvt, 200, mg/kg (200 ppmw). However, when these commercial varieties turn green, they can still approach solanine concentrations of {{cvt, 1000, mg/kg (1000 ppmw). In normal potatoes, analysis has shown solanine levels may be as little as 3.5% of the breeders' maximum, with {{cvt, 7–187, mg/kg being found. While a normal potato tuber has {{cvt, 12–20, mg/kg of glycoalkaloid content, a green potato tuber contains {{cvt, 250–280, mg/kg and its skin has {{cvt, 1500–2200, mg/kg. {{anchor, Growth, Cultivation

Growth and cultivation

{{anchor, Seed potato

Seed potatoes

Potatoes are generally grown from ''seed potatoes'', tubers specifically grown to be free from disease and to provide consistent and healthy plants. To be disease free, the areas where seed potatoes are grown are selected with care. In the US, this restricts production of seed potatoes to only 15 states out of all 50 states where potatoes are grown. These locations are selected for their cold, hard winters that kill pests and summers with long sunshine hours for optimum growth. In the UK, most seed potatoes originate in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

, in areas where westerly winds reduce

aphid Aphids are small sap-sucking insects and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white woolly aphids. A t ...

attack and the spread of potato virus

pathogen In biology, a pathogen ( el, πάθος, "suffering", "passion" and , "producer of") in the oldest and broadest sense, is any organism or agent that can produce disease. A pathogen may also be referred to as an infectious agent, or simply a germ ...

s. Potatoes can also be grown from true seeds.

Phases of growth

Potato growth can be divided into five phases. During the first phase, sprouts emerge from the seed potatoes and root growth begins. During the second,

photosynthesis Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's activities. Some of this chemical energy is stored i ...

begins as the plant develops leaves and branches above-ground and stolons develop from lower leaf axils on the below-ground stem. In the third phase the tips of the stolons swell forming new

tubers Tubers are a type of enlarged structure used as storage organs for nutrients in some plants. They are used for the plant's perennation (survival of the winter or dry months), to provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growing s ...

and the shoots continue to grow and flowers typically develop soon after. Tuber bulking occurs during the fourth phase, when the plant begins investing the majority of its resources in its newly formed tubers. At this phase, several factors are critical to a good yield: optimal soil moisture and temperature, soil nutrient availability and balance, and resistance to pest attacks. The fifth phase is the maturation of the tubers: the leaves and stems senesce and the tuber skins harden.{{cite journal, last1=Jefferies, first1=R. A., last2=Lawson, first2=H. M., title=A key for the stages of development of potato (''Solanum tuberosum''), journal= Annals of Applied Biology, volume=119, issue=2, year=1991, pages=387–399, issn=0003-4746, doi=10.1111/j.1744-7348.1991.tb04879.x

Challenges

New tubers may start growing at the surface of the soil. Since exposure to light leads to an undesirable greening of the skins and the development of solanine as a protection from the sun's rays, growers cover surface tubers. Commercial growers cover them by piling additional soil around the base of the plant as it grows (called "hilling" up, or in British English "earthing up"). An alternative method, used by home gardeners and smaller-scale growers, involves covering the growing area with

mulch A mulch is a layer of material applied to the surface of soil. Reasons for applying mulch include conservation of soil moisture, improving fertility and health of the soil, reducing weed growth and enhancing the visual appeal of the area. A mu ...

es such as straw or plastic sheets.{{cite web, url=http://suffolk-lamp.cit.cornell.edu/assets/Horticulture-Leaflets/Growing-Potatoes-in-the-Home-Garden.pdf, publisher=

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...

Extension Service, title=Growing Potatoes in the Home Garden, access-date=27 June 2010 Correct potato husbandry can be an arduous task in some circumstances. Good ground preparation,

harrowing In agriculture, a harrow is a farm implement used for surface tillage. It is used after ploughing for breaking up and smoothing out the surface of the soil. The purpose of harrowing is to break up clods and to provide a soil structure, call ...

plowing A plough or plow (Differences between American and British spellings, US; both ) is a farm tool for loosening or turning the soil before sowing seed or planting. Ploughs were traditionally drawn by oxen and horses, but in modern farms are draw ...

, and rolling are always needed, along with a little grace from the weather and a good source of water. Three successive plowings, with associated harrowing and rolling, are desirable before planting. Eliminating all root-weeds is desirable in potato cultivation. In general, the potatoes themselves are grown from the eyes of another potato and not from seed. Home gardeners often plant a piece of potato with two or three eyes in a hill of mounded soil. Commercial growers plant potatoes as a row crop using seed tubers, young plants or microtubers and may mound the entire row. Seed potato crops are rogued in some countries to eliminate diseased plants or those of a different variety from the seed crop. Potatoes are sensitive to heavy frosts, which damage them in the ground. Even cold weather makes potatoes more susceptible to bruising and possibly later rotting, which can quickly ruin a large stored crop.

Pests and disease

{{Main, List of potato diseases The historically significant ''

'' (late blight) remains an ongoing problem in Europe and the United States. Other potato diseases include ''

Rhizoctonia ''Rhizoctonia'' is a genus of fungi in the order Cantharellales. Species form thin, effused, corticioid basidiocarps (fruit bodies), but are most frequently found in their sterile, anamorphic state. ''Rhizoctonia'' species are saprotrophic, bu ...

'', ''

Sclerotinia ''Sclerotinia'' is a genus of fungi A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are ...

'', black leg,

powdery mildew Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that affects a wide range of plants. Powdery mildew diseases are caused by many different species of ascomycete fungi in the order Erysiphales. Powdery mildew is one of the easier plant diseases to identify, a ...

powdery scab Powdery scab is a disease of potato tubers. It is caused by the cercozoan ''Spongospora subterranea'' f. sp. ''subterranea'' and is widespread in potato growing countries. Symptoms of powdery scab include small lesions in the early stages of th ...

and leafroll virus. Phytophtora infestans-effects

Insects that commonly transmit potato diseases or damage the plants include the

, the potato tuber moth, the green peach aphid (''

Myzus persicae ''Myzus persicae'', known as the green peach aphid, greenfly, or the peach-potato aphid, is a small green aphid belonging to the order Hemiptera. It is the most significant aphid pest of peach trees, causing decreased growth, shrivelling of the ...

''), the potato aphid, ''

Tuta absoluta ''Tuta absoluta'' is a species of moth in family Gelechiidae known by the common names South American tomato pinworm, tomato leafminer, tomato pinworm and South American tomato moth. It is well known as a serious pest of tomato crops in Europe, Af ...

'', beet leafhoppers,

thrips Thrips (order Thysanoptera) are minute (mostly long or less), slender insects with fringed wings and unique asymmetrical mouthparts. Different thrips species feed mostly on plants by puncturing and sucking up the contents, although a few are ...

, and mites. The

potato cyst nematode Potato root nematodes or potato cyst nematodes (PCN) are 1-mm long roundworms belonging to the genus ''Globodera'', which comprises around 12 species. They live on the roots of plants of the family Solanaceae, such as potatoes and tomatoes. PCN c ...

is a microscopic worm that feeds on the roots, thus causing the potato plants to wilt. Since its eggs can survive in the soil for several years,

crop rotation Crop rotation is the practice of growing a series of different types of crops in the same area across a sequence of growing seasons. It reduces reliance on one set of nutrients, pest and weed pressure, and the probability of developing resistant ...

is recommended. According to an

Environmental Working Group The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is an American activist group that specializes in research and advocacy in the areas of agricultural subsidies, toxic chemicals, drinking water pollutants, and corporate accountability. EWG is a nonprofit ...

analysis of USDA and FDA pesticide residue tests performed from 2000 through 2008, 84% of the 2,216 tested potato samples contained detectable traces of at least one pesticide. A total of 36 unique pesticides were detected on potatoes over the 2,216 samples, though no individual sample contained more than 6 unique pesticide traces, and the average was 1.29 detectable unique pesticide traces per sample. The average quantity of all pesticide traces found in the 2,216 samples was 1.602 ppm. While this was a very low value of pesticide residue, it was the highest amongst the 50 vegetables analyzed. {{ Visible anchor, Rpi-blb1 is a nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NB-LRR/NLR), an immunoreceptor. It has been introgressed from wild relatives (various ''

Solanum ''Solanum'' is a large and diverse genus of flowering plants, which include three food crops of high economic importance: the potato, the tomato and the eggplant (aubergine, brinjal). It is the largest genus in the nightshade family Solanaceae ...

'' spp.) into the common potato. Rpi-blb1 conveys resistance to Late Blight (''P. infestans''). {{ Cite journal , language = en , year = 2022 , volume = 66 , issue = 5 , department = Review , publisher =

Portland Press Limited Portland Press Limited is the wholly owned publishing subsidiary of The Biochemical Society. It is a publisher of journals and books in the cellular and molecular life sciences. The surplus from the sales of its publications are returned to the ...

(

Biochemical Society The Biochemical Society is a learned society in the United Kingdom in the field of biochemistry, including all the cellular and molecular biosciences. Structure It currently has around 7000 members, two-thirds in the UK. It is affiliated with th ...

) , first2 = Doil , first1 = Soohyun , last2 = Choi , last1 = Oh , pages = 435–445 , journal = Essays in Biochemistry , title = Receptor-mediated nonhost resistance in plants , doi = 10.1042/EBC20210080 , pmid = 35388900 , s2cid = 247999992 , id = {{ORCID, 0000-0002-4366-3627 {{ Clarify, date=December 2022, reason=Is this the same as #blb1 above? If so these two should be next to each other, so this should be moved to that section or vice versa.

Harvest

At harvest time, gardeners usually dig up potatoes with a long-handled, three-prong "grape" (or graip), i.e., a

spading fork A garden fork, spading fork, or digging fork is a gardening implement, with a handle and a square-shouldered head featuring several (usually four) short, sturdy tines. It is used for loosening, lifting and turning over soil in gardening and far ...

, or a potato hook, which is similar to the graip but with tines at a 90 ° angle to the handle. In larger plots, the plow is the fastest implement for unearthing potatoes. Commercial harvesting is typically done with large potato harvesters, which scoop up the plant and surrounding earth. This is transported up an apron chain consisting of steel links several feet wide, which separates some of the dirt. The chain deposits into an area where further separation occurs. Different designs use different systems at this point. The most complex designs use vine choppers and shakers, along with a blower system to separate the potatoes from the plant. The result is then usually run past workers who continue to sort out plant material, stones, and rotten potatoes before the potatoes are continuously delivered to a wagon or truck. Further inspection and separation occurs when the potatoes are unloaded from the field vehicles and put into storage. Potatoes are usually cured after harvest to improve skin-set. Skin-set is the process by which the skin of the potato becomes resistant to skinning damage. Potato tubers may be susceptible to skinning at harvest and suffer skinning damage during harvest and handling operations. Curing allows the skin to fully set and any wounds to heal. Wound-healing prevents infection and water-loss from the tubers during storage. Curing is normally done at relatively warm temperatures ({{convert, 50, to, 60, °F, °C, order=flip, disp=or) with high humidity and good gas-exchange if at all possible.

Storage

Storage facilities need to be carefully designed to keep the potatoes alive and slow the natural process of sprouting which involves the breakdown of starch. It is crucial that the storage area be dark, ventilated well, and, for long-term storage, maintained at temperatures near {{convert, 4, C, F. For short-term storage, temperatures of about {{convert, 7, to, 10, °C, °F are preferred.Potato storage, value Preservation: {{cite web , first = Pawanexh , last = Kohli , year = 2009 , title = Potato storage and value Preservation: The Basics , url = http://crosstree.info/Documents/POTATO_STORAGE.pdf , publisher = CrossTree techno-visors , access-date = 12 July 2009 , archive-date = 6 August 2020 , archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200806192307/http://www.crosstree.info/Documents/POTATO_STORAGE.pdf , url-status = dead Temperatures below {{convert, 4, °C, °F convert the starch in potatoes into sugar, which alters their taste and cooking qualities and leads to higher

levels in the cooked product, especially in deep-fried dishes. The discovery of acrylamides in starchy foods in 2002 has led to international health concerns.{{cn, date=October 2022 It is not likely that the acrylamides in burnt or well-cooked food causes cancer in humans.{{cite web , url=https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/cancer-myths/can-eating-burnt-foods-cause-cancer , publisher=Cancer Research UK , title=Can eating burnt foods cause cancer? , date=15 October 2021 Chemicals are used to suppress sprouting of tubers during storage. Chlorpropham (CIPC) is the main chemical used, but toxicity concerns have led to it being banned in the EU.{{cite news , last1=Epp , first1=Melanie , title=The Worry with CIPC , url=https://european-seed.com/2021/04/the-worry-with-cipc/ , access-date=12 June 2021 , work=EuropeanSeed , date=2021-04-12 Alternatives are applying maleic hydrazide to the crop whilst it is still growing or the use of ethylene, spearmint and orange oils and 1,4-dimethylnaphthalene. Under optimum conditions in commercial warehouses, potatoes can be stored for up to 10–12 months. The commercial storage and retrieval of potatoes involves several phases: first ''drying'' surface moisture; ''wound healing'' at 85% to 95%

relative humidity Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present. Humidity dep ...

and temperatures below {{convert, 25, °C, °F; a staged ''cooling phase''; a ''holding'' phase; and a ''reconditioning'' phase, during which the tubers are slowly warmed.

Mechanical ventilation Mechanical ventilation, assisted ventilation or intermittent mandatory ventilation (IMV), is the medical term for using a machine called a ventilator to fully or partially provide artificial ventilation. Mechanical ventilation helps move a ...

is used at various points during the process to prevent condensation and the accumulation of carbon dioxide.

Yield

The world dedicated {{convert, 18.6, e6ha, e6acre, abbr=off to potato cultivation in 2010; the world average yield was {{convert, 17.4, t/ha, ST/acre, abbr=off. The United States was the most productive country, with a nationwide average yield of {{convert, 44.3, t/ha, ST/acre, abbr=off.{{cite web, title=FAOSTAT: Production-Crops, 2010 data , publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations , year=2011 , url=http://faostat.fao.org/site/567/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=567#ancor , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130114151638/http://faostat.fao.org/site/567/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=567 , archive-date=14 January 2013 United Kingdom was a close second.

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

farmers have demonstrated some of the best commercial yields in the world, ranging between 60 and 80 tonnes per hectare, some reporting yields of 88 tonnes of potatoes per hectare. There is a big gap among various countries between high and low yields, even with the same variety of potato. Average potato yields in developed economies ranges between {{ Convert, 38 and 44, MT/ha. China and India accounted for over a third of world's production in 2010, and had yields of {{convert, 14.7 and 19.9, MT/ha respectively. The yield gap between farms in developing economies and developed economies represents an opportunity loss of over {{ Convert, 400, e6MT, e6ST e6LT, abbr=off of potato, or an amount greater than 2010 world potato production. Potato crop yields are determined by factors such as the crop breed, seed age and quality, crop management practices and the plant environment. Improvements in one or more of these yield determinants, and a closure of the yield gap, can be a major boost to food supply and farmer incomes in the developing world. The

food energy Food energy is chemical energy that animals (including humans) derive from their food to sustain their metabolism, including their muscular activity. Most animals derive most of their energy from aerobic respiration, namely combining the carbohy ...

yield of potatoes—about {{convert, 9.2, e6kcal/acre, GJ/ha, abbr=off, order=flip—is higher than that of maize ({{convert, 7.5, e6kcal/acre, GJ/ha, abbr=unit, disp=or, order=flip), rice ({{convert, 7.4, e6kcal/acre, GJ/ha, abbr=unit, disp=or, order=flip), wheat ({{convert, 3, e6kcal/acre, GJ/ha, abbr=unit, disp=or, order=flip), or soybeans ({{convert, 2.8, e6kcal/acre, GJ/ha, abbr=unit, disp=or, order=flip).{{cite book , first1=Audrey , last1=Ensminger , first2=M.E., last2=Ensminger, first3=James E., last3=Konlande, title=Foods & Nutrition Encyclopedia , year=1994 , publisher=CTC Press , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XMA9gYIj-C4C&pg=PA1104, isbn=978-0-8493-8981-8, page=1104

Climate change

{{Main, Climate change and potatoes

Climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...

is predicted to have significant effects on global potato production.{{cite journal, last=Haverkort, first=A. J., author2=Verhagen, A., title=Climate Change and Its Repercussions for the Potato Supply Chain, journal=

, date=October 2008, volume=51, issue=3–4, pages=223–237, doi=10.1007/s11540-008-9107-0, s2cid=22794078 Like many crops, potatoes are likely to be affected by changes in atmospheric

carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide ( chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is trans ...

, temperature and precipitation, as well as interactions between these factors. As well as affecting potatoes directly, climate change will also affect the distributions and populations of many potato diseases and pests.

Uses

{{See also, List of potato dishes {{See also, Potato cooking PreparedPotatoes

Potatoes are prepared in many ways: skin-on or peeled, whole or cut up, with seasonings or without. The only requirement involves cooking to swell the starch granules. Most potato dishes are served hot but some are first cooked, then served cold, notably

potato salad Potato salad is a salad dish made from boiled potatoes, usually containing a dressing and a variety of other ingredients such as boiled eggs and raw vegetables. In the United States, it is generally considered a side dish and usually accompanie ...

and potato chips (crisps). Common dishes are:

mashed potato Mashed potato or mashed potatoes (American and Canadian English), colloquially known as mash (British English), is a dish made by mashing boiled or steamed potatoes, usually with added milk, butter, salt and pepper. It is generally served as a ...

es, which are first boiled (usually peeled), and then mashed with milk or

yogurt Yogurt (; , from tr, yoğurt, also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as ''yogurt cultures''. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bac ...

and butter; whole

baked potato A baked potato, known in some parts of the United Kingdom (though not generally Scotland) as a jacket potato, is a preparation of potato. It may be served with fillings, toppings or condiments such as butter, cheese, sour cream, gravy, baked b ...

es;

boiled Boiling is the rapid vaporization of a liquid, which occurs when a liquid is heated to its boiling point, the temperature at which the vapour pressure of the liquid is equal to the pressure exerted on the liquid by the surrounding atmosphere. T ...

steamed Steaming is a method of cooking using steam. This is often done with a food steamer, a kitchen appliance made specifically to cook food with steam, but food can also be steamed in a wok. In the American southwest, steam pits used for cooking hav ...

potatoes; French-fried potatoes or chips; cut into cubes and

roasted Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat where hot air covers the food, cooking it evenly on all sides with temperatures of at least from an open flame, oven, or other heat source. Roasting can enhance the flavor through caramelizatio ...

;

scalloped Scallop () is a common name that encompasses various species of marine bivalve mollusks in the taxonomic family Pectinidae, the scallops. However, the common name "scallop" is also sometimes applied to species in other closely related families ...

, diced, or sliced and fried (

home fries Home fries (US, Canada), house fries (US), American fries (US), fried potatoes (UK, Canada and regional US), Bratkartoffeln (German), bistro potatoes (southeastern US), or peasant potatoes are a type of basic potato dish made by pan- or skillet ...

); grated into small thin strips and fried (

hash browns Hash browns, also spelled hashed browns, are a popular American and British breakfast food, consisting of finely chopped potatoes that have been fried until browned. Hash browns first started appearing on breakfast menus in New York City in t ...

); grated and formed into dumplings,

Rösti Rösti or rööschti () is a Swiss dish consisting mainly of potatoes, sautéed or shallow-fried in a pan. It was originally a breakfast dish, commonly eaten by farmers in the canton of Bern, but is now eaten all over Switzerland and around th ...

or potato pancakes. Unlike many foods, potatoes can also be easily cooked in a

microwave oven A microwave oven (commonly referred to as a microwave) is an electric oven that heats and cooks food by exposing it to electromagnetic radiation in the microwave frequency range. This induces polar molecules in the food to rotate and produce ...

and still retain nearly all of their nutritional value, provided they are covered in ventilated

plastic wrap Plastic wrap, cling film, Saran wrap, cling wrap, Glad wrap or food wrap is a thin plastic film typically used for sealing food items in containers to keep them fresh over a longer period of time. Plastic wrap, typically sold on rolls in boxe ...

to prevent moisture from escaping; this method produces a meal very similar to a steamed potato, while retaining the appearance of a conventionally baked potato. Potato chunks also commonly appear as a stew ingredient. Potatoes are boiled between 10 and 25 minutes, depending on size and type, to become soft.

Other than for eating

Potatoes are also used for purposes other than eating by humans, for example: * Potatoes are used to brew alcoholic beverages such as

vodka Vodka ( pl, wódka , russian: водка , sv, vodka ) is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impuriti ...

poitín Poitín (), anglicized as poteen () or potcheen, is a traditional Irish distilled beverage (40–90% ABV). Former common names for Poitín were "Irish moonshine" and "mountain dew". It was traditionally distilled in a small pot still and the ...

, or

akvavit ''Akvavit'' or ''aquavit'' (; also ''akevitt'' in Norwegian; ''aquavit'' in English) is a distilled spirit that is principally produced in Scandinavia, where it has been produced since the 15th century. ''Akvavit'' is distilled from grain or po ...

. * They are also used as fodder for

livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animal ...

. Livestock-grade potatoes, considered too small and/or blemished to sell or market for human use but suitable for fodder use, have been called ''chats'' in some dialects. They may be stored in bins until use; they are sometimes ensiled.{{Citation , last=Halliday , first=Les , display-authors=etal , title=Ensiling Potatoes , work=Prince Edward Island Agriculture and Fisheries , date=2015 , url=http://www.gov.pe.ca/photos/original/af_fact_ensipot.pdf , access-date=27 January 2018 , postscript=. Some farmers prefer to steam them rather than feed them raw and are equipped to do so efficiently. *

Potato starch Potato starch is starch extracted from potatoes. The cells of the root tubers of the potato plant contain leucoplasts (starch grains). To extract the starch, the potatoes are crushed, and the starch grains are released from the destroyed cells. T ...

is used in the food industry as a thickener and binder for soups and sauces, in the textile industry as an adhesive, and for the manufacturing of papers and boards.{{cite book , title=Handbook of Potato Production, Improvement, and Postharvest , author1=Jai Gopal , author2=S.M. Paul Khurana , year=2006 , publisher=

Haworth Press Haworth Press was a publisher of scholarly, academic and trade books, and approximately 200 peer-reviewed academic journals. It was founded in 1978 by the publishing industry executives Bill Cohen and Patrick Mcloughlin. The name was taken from ...

, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hxy8pkP26NEC&pg=PA544, isbn=978-1-56022-272-9, page=544 * Potatoes are commonly used in plant research. The consistent parenchyma tissue, the clonal nature of the plant and the low metabolic activity make it an ideal model tissue for experiments on wound-response studies and electron transport. * Potatoes have been delivered with personalized messages as a novelty. Potato delivery services include

Potato Parcel Potato Parcel (or PotatoParcel.com) is an American company and website for delivering potatoes with personalized messages, which are limited to 140 characters or one picture. History In May 2015, Potato Parcel was founded by mobile app developer ...

and Mail A Spud.{{cite web, first1=Amy, last1=Atkins, url=http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/potato-parcel/Content?oid=3739387, title=Potato Parcel, work= Boise Weekly, publisher=Boise Weekly, date=16 March 2016, access-date=11 August 2016, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808070630/http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/potato-parcel/Content?oid=3739387, archive-date=8 August 2016, url-status=dead {{Anchor, Latin America

Latin America

Peruvian cuisine Peruvian cuisine reflects local practices and ingredients including influences mainly from the indigenous population, including the Inca, and cuisines brought by immigrants from Europe (Spanish cuisine, Italian cuisine); Asia (Japanese cuisine an ...

naturally contains the potato as a primary ingredient in many dishes, as around 3,000 varieties of this tuber are grown there. Some of the more notable dishes include boiled potato as a base for several dishes or with ají-based sauces like in

Papa a la Huancaína Papa is a word used in many languages as an affectionate term for father. Papa or PAPA may refer to: Geography and geology *Pápa, a town in Hungary *Papa village (Samoa), on the island of Savai'i *Papa, Scotland, various islands *Papa rock, ...

or ocopa, diced potato for its use in soups like in cau cau, or in Carapulca with dried potato (papa seca). Smashed condimented potato is used in causa Limeña and papa rellena. French-fried potatoes are a typical ingredient in Peruvian stir-fries, including the classic dish lomo saltado. Chuño is a

freeze-dried Freeze drying, also known as lyophilization or cryodesiccation, is a low temperature dehydration process that involves freezing the product and lowering pressure, removing the ice by sublimation. This is in contrast to dehydration by most conve ...

potato product traditionally made by

and

Aymara Aymara may refer to: Languages and people * Aymaran languages, the second most widespread Andean language ** Aymara language, the main language within that family ** Central Aymara, the other surviving branch of the Aymara(n) family, which today ...

communities of

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

and Bolivia, and is known in various countries of South America, including

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

, Bolivia,

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

, and

. In Chile's

, potatoes are the main ingredient of many dishes, including milcaos, chapaleles,

curanto Curanto (from arn, kurantu 'stony') is a traditional Chilote method of cooking food using heated rocks buried in a earth oven that is covered with pangue leaves and turf. The fundamental components are seafood, potatoes, along with other traditi ...

and chochoca. In

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...

, the potato, as well as being a staple with most dishes, is featured in the hearty ''locro de papas'', a thick soup of potato, squash, and cheese.

Europe

In the UK, potatoes form part of the traditional staple, fish and chips. Roast potatoes are commonly served as part of a Sunday roast dinner and mashed potatoes form a major component of several other traditional dishes, such as

shepherd's pie Shepherd's pie, cottage pie, or in its French version hachis Parmentier is a savoury dish of cooked minced meat topped with mashed potato and baked. The meat used may be either previously cooked or freshly minced. The usual meats are beef or la ...

bubble and squeak Bubble and squeak is a British dish made from cooked potatoes and cabbage, mixed together and fried. The food writer Howard Hillman classes it as one of the "great peasant dishes of the world".Hillman, pp. 62–63 The dish has been known sin ...

, and bangers and mash. New potatoes may be cooked with

mint MiNT is Now TOS (MiNT) is a free software alternative operating system kernel for the Atari ST system and its successors. It is a multi-tasking alternative to TOS and MagiC. Together with the free system components fVDI device drivers, XaA ...

and are often served with butter. The Tattie scone is a popular Scottish dish containing potatoes.

Colcannon Colcannon () is a traditional Irish dish of mashed potatoes with cabbage or kale. Description Colcannon is most commonly made with only four ingredients: potatoes, butter, milk and cabbage (or kale). Irish historian Patrick Weston Joyce defined ...

is a traditional Irish food made with mashed potato, shredded kale or cabbage, and onion; champ is a similar dish.

Boxty Boxty ( ir, bacstaí) is a traditional Irish potato pancake. The dish is mostly associated with the north midlands, north Connacht and southern Ulster, in particular the counties of Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Donegal, Fermanagh, Longford, and C ...

pancakes are eaten throughout Ireland, although associated especially with the North, and in Irish diaspora communities; they are traditionally made with grated potatoes, soaked to loosen the starch and mixed with flour, buttermilk and baking powder. A variant eaten and sold in

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancash ...

, especially

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...

, is made with cooked and mashed potatoes. In the UK, game chips are a traditional accompaniment to roast

gamebird Galliformes is an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding birds that includes turkeys, chickens, quail, and other landfowl. Gallinaceous birds, as they are called, are important in their ecosystems as seed dispersers and predators, and are often ...

s such as

pheasant Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera native range is restricted to Eurasia ...

grouse Grouse are a group of birds from the order Galliformes, in the family Phasianidae. Grouse are presently assigned to the tribe Tetraonini (formerly the subfamily Tetraoninae and the family Tetraonidae), a classification supported by mitochondria ...

partridge A partridge is a medium-sized galliform bird in any of several genera, with a wide native distribution throughout parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. Several species have been introduced to the Americas. They are sometimes grouped in the Perd ...

and

quail Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally placed in the order Galliformes. The collective noun for a group of quail is a flock, covey, or bevy. Old World quail are placed in the family Phasianidae, and New ...

. Powdered cooked potato has been sold in the UK since the 1960s as Smash and is used as a food for camping and domestically. Halushky are the national dish of many Slavic nations. Halušky dumplings are made from a batter consisting of flour and grated potatoes. '' Bryndzové halušky'' are associated to Slovak cuisine in particular. Bauernfrühstück-01

In Germany, Northern (Finland, Latvia and especially

Scandinavian countries Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swede ...

), Eastern Europe (Russia,

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...

and

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

) and Poland, newly harvested, early ripening varieties are considered a special delicacy. Boiled whole and served un-peeled with

dill Dill (''Anethum graveolens'') is an annual herb in the celery family Apiaceae. It is the only species in the genus ''Anethum''. Dill is grown widely in Eurasia, where its leaves and seeds are used as a herb or spice for flavouring food. Growth ...

, these "new potatoes" are traditionally consumed with

Baltic herring Atlantic herring (''Clupea harengus'') is a herring in the family Clupeidae. It is one of the most abundant fish species in the world. Atlantic herrings can be found on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, congregating in large schools. They can ...

. Puddings made from grated potatoes ( kugel,

kugelis Kugelis, also known as bulvių plokštainis ("potato pie"), is a potato dish from Lithuania. Potatoes, bacon, milk, onions, and eggs are seasoned with salt and pepper and flavoured, for example with bay leaves and/or marjoram, then oven-baked. I ...

, and

potato babka Potato babka is a savoury dish, popular especially in Belarus and northeastern Poland, where it is known as babka ziemniaczana. It is made from grated potatoes, eggs, onions, and pieces of smoked, boiled or fried bacon and (especially in ...

) are popular items of Ashkenazi, Lithuanian, and Belarusian cuisine.{{cite book, author1=von Bremzen, Anya, author2=Welchman, John, title=Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook, publisher=Workman Publishing, location=New York, year=1990, page
319–20
isbn=978-0-89480-845-6, url=https://archive.org/details/pleasetotablethe00vonb/page/319 German fried potatoes and various versions of Potato salad are part of German cuisine. Bauernfrühstück (literally ''farmer's breakfast'') is a warm German dish made from fried potatoes,

eggs Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especial ...

, ham and vegetables. Cepelinai 2, Vilnius, Lithuania - Diliff

Cepelinai Cepelinai ( "zeppelins"; singular: ''cepelinas'') or didžkukuliai are potato dumplings made from grated and riced potatoes and stuffed with ground meat, dry curd cheese or mushrooms. It has been described as a national dish of Lithuania, and is t ...

is the national dish of Lithuania. They are a type of dumpling made from grated raw potatoes boiled in water and usually stuffed with minced meat, although sometimes dry cottage cheese (

curd Curd is obtained by coagulating milk in a sequential process called curdling. It can be a final dairy product or the first stage in cheesemaking. The coagulation can be caused by adding rennet or any edible acidic substance such as l ...

) or mushrooms are used instead. In Western Europe, especially in Belgium, sliced potatoes are fried to create ''frieten'', the original French fried potatoes. '' Stamppot'', a traditional Dutch meal, is based on mashed potatoes mixed with vegetables. In France, the most notable potato dish is the '' Hachis Parmentier'', named after

Antoine-Augustin Parmentier Antoine-Augustin Parmentier (, , ; 12 August 1737 – 13 December 1813) was a French pharmacist and agronomist, best remembered as a vocal promoter of the potato as a food source for humans in France and throughout Europe. His many other contrib ...

, a French pharmacist, nutritionist, and agronomist who, in the late 18th century, was instrumental in the acceptance of the potato as an edible crop in the country. ''

Pâté aux pommes de terre The ''pâté aux pommes de terre'', , ( Occitan: pastís de treflas) or ''pâté de pommes de terre'' is a speciality of the Limousin and the Allier (Bourbonnais) regions in Central France. It can be served either as a side dish or as the mai ...

'' is a regional potato dish from the central Allier and

Limousin Limousin (; oc, Lemosin ) is a former administrative region of southwest-central France. On 1 January 2016, it became part of the new administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It comprised three departments: Corrèze, Creuse, and Haute-Vienn ...

regions. ''

Gratin dauphinois Gratin dauphinois is a French dish of sliced potatoes baked in milk or cream, using the gratin technique, from the Dauphiné region in south-eastern France. There are many variants of the name of the dish, including pommes de terre dauphinoise ...

'', consisting of baked thinly sliced potatoes with cream or milk, and ''

tartiflette Tartiflette () is a dish from Savoy in the French Alps and from Aosta Valley. It is made with potatoes, reblochon cheese, lardons and onions. A splash of white wine can be added too. The word ''tartiflette'' is probably derived from the Arpita ...

'', with Reblochon cheese, are also widespread. In the north of Italy, in particular, in the

Friuli Friuli ( fur, Friûl, sl, Furlanija, german: Friaul) is an area of Northeast Italy with its own particular cultural and historical identity containing 1,000,000 Friulians. It comprises the major part of the autonomous region Friuli Venezia Giuli ...

region of the northeast, potatoes serve to make a type of pasta called

gnocchi Gnocchi ( , , ; singular ''gnocco'') are a varied family of dumpling in Italian cuisine. They are made of small lumps of dough most traditionally composed of a simple combination of wheat flour, egg, salt, and potato. Variations of the dish sup ...

. Similarly, cooked and mashed potatoes or potato flour can be used in the

Knödel Knödel (; and ) or Klöße (; ) are boiled dumplings commonly found in Central European and East European cuisine. Central European countries in which their variant of ''Knödel'' is popular include Austria, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, ...

or dumpling eaten with or added to meat dishes all over central and Eastern Europe, but especially in

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...

and

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

. Potatoes form one of the main ingredients in many soups such as the

vichyssoise Vichyssoise ( , ), also known as potage Parmentier, velouté Parmentier, or crème Parmentier, is a thick soup made of boiled and puréed leeks, onions, potatoes, cream, and chicken stock. It is traditionally served cold, but it can be eaten hot ...

and Albanian potato and cabbage soup. In western Norway,

komle Potetball (also known as ball, klubb, kumle, komle, kompe, raspeball) is a traditional Norwegian potato dumpling. A similar German dish is called '' Kartoffelklöße''. The main ingredient is peeled potatoes, which are grated or ground up and ...

is popular. Potato pancakes are popular all over Central Europe, and are also known in Scandinavia, and in

Jewish cuisine Jewish cuisine refers to the worldwide cooking traditions of the Jewish people. During its evolution over the course of many centuries, it has been shaped by Jewish dietary laws (''kashrut''), Jewish festivals and holidays, and traditions ce ...

. A traditional Canary Islands dish is Canarian wrinkly potatoes or ''papas arrugadas''. ''

Tortilla de patatas Spanish omelette or Spanish tortilla is a traditional dish from Spain. Celebrated as a national dish by Spaniards, it is an essential part of the Spanish cuisine. It is an omelette made with eggs and potatoes, optionally including onion. It is of ...

'' (potato omelette) and '' patatas bravas'' (a dish of fried potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce) are near-universal constituent of Spanish

tapas A tapa () is an appetizer or snack in Spanish cuisine. Tapas can be combined to make a full meal, and can be cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or hot (such as ''chopitos'', which are battered, fried baby squid, or patatas bravas). In so ...

North America

In the US, potatoes have become one of the most widely consumed crops and thus have a variety of preparation methods and condiments. French fries and often

are commonly found in typical American fast-food burger "joints" and cafeterias. One popular favourite involves a baked potato with cheddar cheese (or sour cream and

chives Chives, scientific name ''Allium schoenoprasum'', is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae that produces edible leaves and flowers. Their close relatives include the common onions, garlic, shallot, leek, scallion, and ...

) on top, and in

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...

"smashed potatoes" (a chunkier variation on mashed potatoes, retaining the peel) have a great popularity. Potato flakes are popular as an instant variety of mashed potatoes, which reconstitute into mashed potatoes by adding water, with butter or oil and salt to taste. A regional dish of

Central New York Central New York is the central region of New York State, including the following counties and cities: With a population of about 773,606 (2009) and an area of , the region includes the Syracuse metropolitan area. Definitions The New York ...

, salt potatoes are bite-size new potatoes boiled in water saturated with salt then served with melted butter. At more formal dinners, a common practice includes taking small red potatoes, slicing them, and roasting them in an iron skillet. Among American Jews, the practice of eating

latkes A latke ( yi, לאַטקע ''latke''; sometimes romanized ''latka'', lit. "pancake") is a type of potato pancake or fritter in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine that is traditionally prepared to celebrate Hanukkah. Latkes can be made with ingredients ot ...

(fried potato pancakes) is common during the festival of

Hanukkah or English translation: 'Establishing' or 'Dedication' (of the Temple in Jerusalem) , nickname = , observedby = Jews , begins = 25 Kislev , ends = 2 Tevet or 3 Tevet , celebrations = Lighting candles each night. ...

. A traditional Acadian dish from

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

is known as ''poutine râpée''. The Acadian poutine is a ball of grated and

, salted, sometimes filled with pork in the centre, and boiled. The result is a moist ball about the size of a

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

. It is commonly eaten with salt and pepper or

brown sugar Brown sugar is unrefined or partially refined soft sugar. Brown Sugar may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Brown Sugar'' (1922 film), a 1922 British silent film directed by Fred Paul * ''Brown Sugar'' (1931 film), a 1931 ...

. It is believed to have originated from the German '' Klöße'', prepared by early German settlers who lived among the Acadians. ''

Poutine Poutine () is a dish of french fries and cheese curds topped with a brown gravy. It emerged in Quebec, in the late 1950s in the Centre-du-Québec region, though its exact origins are uncertain and there are several competing claims regarding it ...

'', by contrast, is a hearty serving of French fries, fresh

cheese curd Cheese curds are moist pieces of curdled milk, eaten either alone or as a snack, or used in prepared dishes. They are consumed throughout the northern United States and Canada. Notably, cheese curds are popular in Quebec, as part of the dish p ...

s and hot gravy. Tracing its origins to

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

in the 1950s, it has become a widespread and popular dish throughout Canada. Potato grading for

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...

potatoes is performed in which No. 1 potatoes are the highest quality and No. 2 are rated as lower in quality due to their appearance (e.g. blemishes or bruises, pointy ends). Potato density assessment can be performed by floating them in brines.{{cite book , last=Sivasankar , first=B. , year=2002 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tbxGHBUY0BcC&pg=PA175 , title=Food Processing and Preservation , publisher=PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. , pages=175–77 , isbn=81-203-2086-7 High-density potatoes are desirable in the production of dehydrated mashed potatoes, potato crisps and french fries. File:Burger and fries (1).jpg, French fries served with a hamburger File:OriginalPoutineLaBanquise.jpg,

, a Canadian dish of fried potatoes, cheese curds, and gravy

South Asia

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth descr ...

, the potato is a very popular traditional staple. In India, the most popular potato dishes are ''aloo ki sabzi'',

batata vada Batata vada ( mr, बटाटा वडा, ) is a popular vegetarian fast food dish from the Indian state of Maharashtra. The dish consists of a mashed potato patty coated with chick pea flour, which is then deep-fried and served hot with chu ...

, and

samosa A samosa () or singara is a fried Indian pastry with a savory filling, including ingredients such as spiced potatoes, onions, and peas. It may take different forms, including triangular, cone, or half-moon shapes, depending on the region. Sam ...

, which is spicy mashed potato mixed with a small amount of vegetable stuffed in conical dough, and deep fried. Potatoes are also a major ingredient as fast food items, such as aloo chaat, where they are deep fried and served with

chutney A chutney is a spread in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. Chutneys are made in a wide variety of forms, such as a tomato relish, a ground peanut garnish, yogurt or curd, cucumber, spicy coconut, spicy onion or mint dipping sa ...

. In Northern India, alu dum and alu paratha are a favourite part of the diet; the first is a spicy curry of boiled potato, the second is a type of stuffed chapati. A dish called

masala dosa Masala Dosa, also called Masale dosey ( ಮಸಾಲೆ ದೋಸೆ ), is a South Indian dish. It is a type of dosa and has its origin in Udupi cuisine of Karnataka. It is made from rice, lentils, Urad dal, Chana dal, fenugreek, puffed ric ...

from South India is very notable all over India. It is a thin pancake of rice and

pulse In medicine, a pulse represents the tactile arterial palpation of the cardiac cycle (heartbeat) by trained fingertips. The pulse may be palpated in any place that allows an artery to be compressed near the surface of the body, such as at the n ...

batter rolled over spicy smashed potato and eaten with sambhar and chutney. Poori in south India in particular in Tamil Nadu is almost always taken with smashed potato masal. Other favourite dishes are alu tikki and pakoda items.

Vada pav Vada pav, alternatively spelt wada pao, is a vegetarian fast food dish native to the Indian state of Maharashtra. The dish consists of a deep fried potato dumpling placed inside a bread bun (''pav'') sliced almost in half through the middle. ...

is a popular vegetarian fast food dish in Mumbai and other regions in the Maharashtra in India. Aloo posto (a curry with potatoes and poppy seeds) is immensely popular in East India, especially Bengal. Although potatoes are not native to India, it has become a vital part of food all over the country especially North Indian food preparations. In Tamil Nadu this tuber acquired a name based on its appearance 'urulai-k-kizhangu' (உருளைக் கிழங்கு) meaning cylindrical tuber. The

Aloo gosht Aloo gosht ( hi, आलू गोश्त, ur}, bn, আলু গোশ্ত ''Alu göshto'', as, আলু গোছ ''Alu güs'') is a meat curry, and is a popular dish in North Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi cuisine. It consists o ...

, Potato and meat

curry A curry is a dish with a sauce seasoned with spices, mainly associated with South Asian cuisine. In southern India, leaves from the curry tree may be included. There are many varieties of curry. The choice of spices for each dish in trad ...

, is one of the popular dishes in

, especially in

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

East Asia

In East Asia, particularly Southeast Asia, rice is by far the predominant starch crop, with potatoes a secondary crop, especially in China and Japan. However, it is used in northern China where rice is not easily grown, with a popular dish being {{lang, zh-Hans, 青椒土豆丝 (''qīng jiāo tǔ dòu sī''), made with green pepper, vinegar and thin slices of potato. In the winter, roadside sellers in northern China will also sell roasted potatoes. It is also occasionally seen in Korean and Thai cuisines.{{cite book , title=Charmaine Solomon's Encyclopedia of Asian Food , author=Solomon, Charmaine , year=1996 , publisher=William Heinemann Australia , location=Melbourne , isbn=978-0-85561-688-5, page=293

Cultural significance

In art

The potato has been an essential crop in the

since the

pre-Columbian In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era spans from the original settlement of North and South America in the Upper Paleolithic period through European colonization, which began with Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492. Usually, ...

Era. The Moche culture from Northern

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

made ceramics from the earth, water, and fire. This pottery was a sacred substance, formed in significant shapes and used to represent important themes. Potatoes are represented anthropomorphically as well as naturally. During the late 19th century, numerous images of potato harvesting appeared in European art, including the works of Willem Witsen and

Anton Mauve Anthonij "Anton" Rudolf Mauve (18 September 18385 February 1888) was a Dutch realist painter who was a leading member of the Hague School. He signed his paintings 'A. Mauve' or with a monogrammed 'A.M.'. A master colorist, he was a very signific ...

Van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inc ...

's 1885 painting ''

The Potato Eaters ''The Potato Eaters'' ( nl, De Aardappeleters) is an oil painting by Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh painted in April 1885 in Nuenen, Netherlands. It is in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. The original oil sketch of the painting is at the Kröl ...

'' portrays a family eating potatoes. Van Gogh said he wanted to depict peasants as they really were. He deliberately chose coarse and ugly models, thinking that they would be natural and unspoiled in his finished work.{{cite web, url=http://www.vggallery.com/visitors/004.htm, title=The Potato Eaters by Vincent van Gogh, last=van Tilborgh, first=Louis , year=2009, work=The Vincent van Gogh Gallery, access-date=11 September 2009

Jean-François Millet Jean-François Millet (; 4 October 1814 – 20 January 1875) was a French artist and one of the founders of the Barbizon school in rural France. Millet is noted for his paintings of peasant farmers and can be categorized as part of the Realism ...

's ''The Potato Harvest'' depicts peasants working in the plains between Barbizon and Chailly. It presents a theme representative of the peasants' struggle for survival. Millet's technique for this work incorporated paste-like pigments thickly applied over a coarsely textured canvas. File:Van-willem-vincent-gogh-die-kartoffelesser-03850.jpg, ''

'' by

, 1885 (

Van Gogh Museum The Van Gogh Museum () is a Dutch art museum dedicated to the works of Vincent van Gogh and his contemporaries in the Museum Square in Amsterdam South, close to the Stedelijk Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Concertgebouw. The museum opene ...

) File:Jean-François Millet - The Potato Harvest - Walters 37115.jpg, '' The Potato Harvest'' by

, 1855 (

Walters Art Museum The Walters Art Museum, located in Mount Vernon-Belvedere, Baltimore, Maryland, United States, is a public art museum founded and opened in 1934. It holds collections established during the mid-19th century. The museum's collection was amassed ...

)

In popular culture

Invented in 1949, and marketed and sold commercially by

Hasbro Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational conglomerate holding company incorporated and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of K ...

in 1952, Mr. Potato Head is an American toy that consists of a plastic potato and attachable plastic parts, such as ears and eyes, to make a face. It was the first toy ever advertised on television.{{cite web, url=http://www.vam.ac.uk/moc/collections/toys/construction_toys/mr_potato_head/index.html, title=Mr Potato Head, website=Museum of Childhood , publisher=V&A Museum of Childhood, access-date=11 September 2009 In June, 1992 at the Muñoz Rivera Elementary School spelling bee in Trenton, New Jersey, U.S. Vice President

Dan Quayle James Danforth Quayle (; born February 4, 1947) is an American politician who served as the 44th vice president of the United States from 1989 to 1993 under President George H. W. Bush. A member of the Republican Party, Quayle served as a U.S. ...

was handed a flash card that incorrectly spelled "potato" as "potatoe" and then prompted a 12-year-old student to change his correct spelling.{{cite news, url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/29/nyregion/politics-how-do-you-spell-regret-one-man-s-take-on-it.html, title=How Do You Spell Regret? One Man's Take on It, first=Mark, last=Fass, work=The New York Times, access-date=March 20, 2009, date=August 29, 2004, archive-date=March 23, 2009, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090323093130/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/29/nyregion/politics-how-do-you-spell-regret-one-man-s-take-on-it.html, url-status=live This incident was the subject of widespread ridicule.

References

Citations

{{Reflist

General and cited sources

{{Refbegin, 2 * ''Economist''. "Llamas and mash"
''The Economist'' 28 February 2008 online
* ''Economist''. "The potato: Spud we like", (leader
''The Economist'' 28 February 2008 online
* {{cite journal , last1 = Boomgaard , first1 = Peter , year = 2003 , title = In the Shadow of Rice: Roots and Tubers in Indonesian History, 1500–1950 , journal = Agricultural History , volume = 77 , issue = 4, pages = 582–610 , jstor=3744936 , doi=10.1525/ah.2003.77.4.582 * Hawkes, J.G. (1990). ''The Potato: Evolution, Biodiversity & Genetic Resources'', Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC * {{cite book , last1 = Lang , first1 = James , year = 1975 , title = Notes of a Potato Watcher , series = Texas A&M University Agriculture series , isbn = 978-1-58544-138-9 , url-access = registration , url = https://archive.org/details/notesofpotatowat0000lang * {{Cite journal , last=Langer , first=William L , title=American Foods and Europe's Population Growth 1750–1850 , journal =

Journal of Social History ''The Journal of Social History'' was founded in 1967 and has been edited since then by Peter Stearns. The journal covers social history in all regions and time periods. Articles in the journal frequently combine sociohistorical analysis between ...

, volume = 8 , issue = 2, pages = 51–66 , jstor=3786266 , doi=10.1353/jsh/8.2.51, year=1975 * McNeill, William H. "How the Potato Changed the World's History." ''Social Research'' (1999) 66#1 pp. 67–83. {{ISSN, 0037-783X Fulltext:

Ebsco EBSCO Industries is an American company founded in 1944 by Elton Bryson Stephens Sr. and headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. The ''EBSCO'' acronym is based on ''Elton Bryson Stephens Company''. EBSCO Industries is a diverse company of over 4 ...

, by a leading historian * {{cite journal , author = McNeill William H , year = 1948 , title = The Introduction of the Potato into Ireland , journal = Journal of Modern History , volume = 21 , issue = 3, pages = 218–21 , jstor=1876068 , doi=10.1086/237272, s2cid = 145099646 * Ó Gráda, Cormac. ''Black '47 and Beyond: The Great Irish Famine in History, Economy, and Memory.'' (1999). 272 pp. * Ó Gráda, Cormac, Richard Paping, and Eric Vanhaute, eds. ''When the Potato Failed: Causes and Effects of the Last European Subsistence Crisis, 1845–1850.'' (2007). 342 pp. {{ISBN, 978-2-503-51985-2. 15 essays by scholars looking at Ireland and all of Europe * Reader, John. ''Propitious Esculent: The Potato in World History'' (2008), 315pp a standard scholarly history * Salaman, Redcliffe N. (1989). ''The History and Social Influence of the Potato'', Cambridge University Press (originally published in 1949; reprinted 1985 with new introduction and corrections by J.G. Hawkes). * Stevenson, W.R., Loria, R., Franc, G.D., and Weingartner, D.P. (2001) ''Compendium of Potato Diseases'', 2nd ed, Amer. Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN. * Zuckerman, Larry. ''The Potato: How the Humble Spud Rescued the Western World.'' (1998). 304 pp. Douglas & McIntyre. {{ISBN, 0-86547-578-4. {{Refend

External links

''Solanum tuberosum'' (potato, papas): life cycle, tuber anatomy at GeoChemBio
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408035017/http://www.geochembio.com/biology/organisms/potato/ , date=8 April 2022 {{Potato cultivars, state=expanded {{Sister bar, d=Q10998, b=Cookbook:Potato, wikt=potato, c=Solanum tuberosum, species=Solanum tuberosum, auto=1 {{Agriculture country lists, state=collapsed {{Bioenergy {{Taxonbar, from=Q10998 {{Authority control Crops originating from Bolivia Crops originating from indigenous Americans Crops originating from Peru Crops originating from South America Cuisine of Northern Ireland Edible Solanaceae Flora of the Andes Irish cuisine Plants described in 1753 Root vegetables Solanum Staple foods Stoloniferous plants Tubers

Etymology

Biology

Taxonomic synonyms

Description

Genetics

Varieties

Pigmentation

Genetically engineered potatoes

Biosynthesis of starch

History

Production

Nutrition

Comparison to other staple foods

Toxicity

Growth and cultivation

Seed potatoes

Phases of growth

Challenges

Pests and disease

Harvest

Storage

Yield

Climate change

Uses

Other than for eating

Latin America

Europe

North America

South Asia

East Asia

Cultural significance

In art

In popular culture

See also

References

Citations

General and cited sources

Further reading

External links