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47-466: The Irish Lumper is a varietal white potato of historic interest. It has been identified as the variety of potato whose widespread cultivation throughout Ireland , prior to the 1840s, is implicated in the Irish Great Famine in which an estimated 1 million died. The 'Irish Lumper' is noted for its ability to flourish on garden beds that are poor in nutrients, wet-footed, or both. Until

94-652: A Yukon Gold potato or a red potato, called gold creamers or red creamers respectively. In the UK, the Jersey Royal is a famous type of new potato. Dozens of potato cultivars have been selectively bred specifically for their skin or flesh color , including gold, red, and blue varieties. These contain varying amounts of phytochemicals , including carotenoids for gold/yellow or polyphenols for red or blue cultivars. Carotenoid compounds include provitamin A alpha-carotene and beta-carotene , which are converted to

141-462: A staple food in many parts of the world and an integral part of much of the world's food supply . Following millennia of selective breeding , there are now over 5,000 different varieties of potatoes . The potato remains an essential crop in Europe, especially Northern and Eastern Europe, where per capita production is still the highest in the world, while the most rapid expansion in production during

188-562: A "wet, nasty, knobbly old potato". Its texture upon boiling is described as more "waxy" than "floury", indicating a starch content on the lower side of that typical for white potatoes. Schools in Ireland are starting to cultivate the Irish Lumper as a project of historical education. They are cultivated in raised garden beds , in the pattern of the 1840s. Potato see list The potato ( / p ə ˈ t eɪ t oʊ / )

235-440: A draft sequence of the potato genome was made, containing 12 chromosomes and 860 million base pairs, making it a medium-sized plant genome. It had been thought that most potato cultivars derived from a single origin in southern Peru and extreme Northwestern Bolivia , from a species in the S. brevicaule complex. DNA analysis however shows that more than 99% of all current varieties of potatoes are direct descendants of

282-665: A feed and food from the EFSA. In 2012, GMO development in Europe was stopped by BASF. In November 2014, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved a genetically modified potato developed by Simplot , which contains genetic modifications that prevent bruising and produce less acrylamide 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 . Genetically modified varieties have met public resistance in

329-552: A free-draining compost. Potatoes are sensitive to heavy frosts , which damage them in the ground or when stored. The historically significant Phytophthora infestans , the cause of late blight , remains an ongoing problem in Europe and the United States. Other potato diseases include Rhizoctonia , Sclerotinia , Pectobacterium carotovorum (black leg), powdery mildew , powdery scab and leafroll virus . Insects that commonly transmit potato diseases or damage

376-552: A subspecies that once grew in the lowlands of south-central Chile. Most modern potatoes grown in North America arrived through European settlement and not independently from the South American sources. At least one wild potato species, S. fendleri , occurs in North America; it is used in breeding for resistance to a nematode species that attacks cultivated potatoes. A secondary center of genetic variability of

423-532: Is S. tuberosum (a tetraploid with 48 chromosomes ), and modern varieties of this species are the most widely cultivated. There are also four diploid species (with 24 chromosomes): S. stenotomum , S. phureja , S. goniocalyx , and S. ajanhuiri . There are two triploid species (with 36 chromosomes): S. chaucha and S. juzepczukii . There is one pentaploid cultivated species (with 60 chromosomes): S. curtilobum . There are two major subspecies of S. tuberosum . The Andean potato, S. tuberosum andigena ,

470-463: Is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground tubers of the plant Solanum tuberosum , a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae . Wild potato species can be found from the southern United States to southern Chile . Genetic studies show that the cultivated potato has a single origin, in

517-437: Is absorbed and is believed to be responsible for observed nervous system signs. Glycoalkaloids are typically bitter tasting , and produce a burning irritation in the back of the mouth and side of the tongue . The Aymara people of Bolivia use taste to detect the levels of glycoalkaloids in potatoes to determine the safety of various cultigens . Although not routinely available, detection of alkaloids in tissues or urine

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564-472: Is adapted to the short-day conditions prevalent in the mountainous equatorial and tropical regions where it originated. The Chilean potato S. tuberosum tuberosum , native to the Chiloé Archipelago , is in contrast adapted to the long-day conditions prevalent in the higher latitude region of southern Chile. Wild potato species occur from the southern United States to southern Chile. The potato

611-761: Is indigenous to the Chiloé Archipelago , and has been cultivated by the local indigenous people since before the Spanish conquest . Following the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire , the Spanish introduced the potato to Europe in the second half of the 16th century as part of the Columbian exchange . The staple was subsequently conveyed by European mariners (possibly including the Russian-American Company ) to territories and ports throughout

658-447: Is problematic for crop breeding, as all sexually-produced plants must be hybrids . The gene responsible for self-incompatibility, 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 . Plants having a 'Sli' gene produce pollen which is compatible to its own parent and plants with similar S genes. This gene

705-634: Is the maturation of the tubers: the leaves and stems senesce and the tuber skins harden. 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

752-603: The Andes alone — mainly in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, and Colombia. Over 100 cultivars might be found in a single valley, and a dozen or more might be maintained by a single agricultural household. The European Cultivated Potato Database is an online collaborative database of potato variety descriptions updated and maintained by the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency within the framework of

799-543: The Colorado potato beetle ; 'New Leaf Plus' and 'New Leaf Y', approved by US regulatory agencies during the 1990s, also include resistance to viruses . McDonald's , Burger King , Frito-Lay , and Procter & Gamble 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 , amylose and amylopectin ,

846-643: The diversity found in Solanum ancestral and wild relatives is found outside the original South American range. This makes these South American species highly valuable in breeding. The importance of the potato to humanity is recognised in the United Nations International Day of Potato, to be celebrated on 30 May each year, starting in 2024. Potatoes, both S. tuberosum and most of its wild relatives, are self-incompatible : they bear no useful fruit when self-pollinated. This trait

893-560: The essential nutrient , vitamin A , 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 specifically for these pigmentation traits. Genetic research has produced several genetically modified varieties. 'New Leaf', owned by Monsanto Company , incorporates genes from Bacillus thuringiensis (source of most Bt toxins in transcrop use ), which confers resistance to

940-556: The 1840s, infestations of Phytophthora infestans devastated a series of potato harvests, leading to widespread famine and emigration . The cumulative effects of both catastrophes, exacerbated by British rule, lowered Ireland's total population by approximately 2 million , of which approximately 1 million were fatalities. After almost disappearing from cultivation, the 'Irish Lumper' was regrown, starting in 2008, by Michael McKillop of County Antrim for harvest sale as an heirloom variety . The 'Irish Lumper' has been characterized as

987-572: The 1840s, it was closely adapted to growing conditions in Ireland , particularly western Ireland . The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Ireland noted that the Lumper was a "very old variety, and ... probably well known when first recorded by Dutton (1808) in his Agricultural Survey of County Clare. ... It was described by Andrews (1835) as a 'coarse species' and was recommended by Howden (1837) as stock feed due to its enormous yield." In

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1034-574: The 21st century was in southern and eastern Asia, with China and India leading the world production as of 2021. Like the tomato and the nightshades, the potato is in the genus Solanum ; the aerial parts of the potato contain the toxin solanine . Normal potato tubers that have been grown and stored properly produce glycoalkaloids in negligible amounts, but, if sprouts and potato skins are exposed to light, tubers can become toxic. The English word "potato" comes from Spanish patata , in turn from Taíno batata , which means " sweet potato ", not

1081-623: The European Cooperative Programme for Crop Genetic Resources Networks—which is run by the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute . Around 80 varieties are commercially available in the UK. 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

1128-495: The Netherlands in subsequent years. The 'Fortuna' GM potato variety developed by BASF was made resistant to late blight by introgressing two resistance genes, blb1 and blb2 , from S. bulbocastanum , a wild potato native to Mexico. Rpi-blb1 is a nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NB-LRR/NLR), an R-gene-produced immunoreceptor. In October 2011 BASF requested cultivation and marketing approval as

1175-643: The U.S. and in the European Union. 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

1222-486: The UK, most seed potatoes originate in Scotland , in areas where westerly winds reduce aphid attacks and the spread of potato virus pathogens. 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 begins as the plant develops leaves and branches above-ground and stolons develop from lower leaf axils on

1269-420: The area of present-day southern Peru and extreme northwestern Bolivia . Potatoes were domesticated there about 7,000–10,000 years ago from a species in the S. brevicaule complex. Many varieties of the potato are cultivated in the Andes region of South America, where the species is indigenous . The Spanish introduced potatoes to Europe in the second half of the 16th century from the Americas. They are

1316-427: 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 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

1363-501: The below-ground stem. In the third phase the tips of the stolons swell, forming new tubers , and the shoots continue to grow, with flowers typically developing 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

1410-508: The centre, and are insect-pollinated. The plant develops tubers to store nutrients. These are not roots but stems that form from thickened rhizomes at the tips of long thin stolons . On the surface of the tubers there are "eyes," which act as sinks to protect the vegetative buds from which the stems originate. The "eyes" are arranged in helical form. In addition, the tubers have small holes that allow breathing, called lenticels . The lenticels are circular and their number varies depending on

1457-526: The comparative ratio of two different potato starch compounds: amylose and amylopectin . 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 chips or potato crisps are sometimes called "chipping potatoes", which means they meet

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1504-426: The earth. The chain deposits into an area where further separation occurs. 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

1551-427: The growing area with mulches such as straw or plastic sheets. At farm scale, potatoes require a well-drained neutral or mildly acidic soil ( pH 6 or 7) such as a sandy loam . The soil is prepared using deep tillage, for example with a chisel plow or ripper. In areas where irrigation is needed, the field is leveled using a landplane so that water can be supplied evenly. Manure can be added after initial irrigation;

1598-483: The latter of which is most industrially useful. Waxy potato varieties produce waxy potato starch , which is almost entirely amylopectin, with little or no amylose. BASF developed the ' Amflora ' 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 amylopectin , and are thus more useful for

1645-683: The nightshade family, the Solanaceae . That is a diverse family of flowering plants, often poisonous, that includes the mandrake ( Mandragora ), deadly nightshade ( Atropa ), and tobacco ( Nicotiana ), as shown in the outline phylogenetic tree (many branches omitted). The most commonly cultivated potato is S. tuberosum ; there are several other species. many garden flowers and other species Nicotiana (tobacco) Atropa (nightshades) Mandragora (mandrake)  (sweet and bell peppers) S. lycopersicum (tomato) S. tuberosum (cultivated potato) The major species grown worldwide

1692-655: The plant now known as simply "potato". The name "spud" for a potato is from the 15th century spudde , a short knife or dagger, probably related to Danish spyd , "spear". From around 1840, the name transferred to the tuber itself. At least six languages—Afrikaans, Dutch, French, (West) Frisian, Hebrew, Persian and some variants of German—use a term for "potato" that means "earth apple" or "ground apple". Potato plants are herbaceous perennials that grow up to 1 metre (3.3 ft) high. The stems are hairy. The leaves have roughly four pairs of leaflets . The flowers range from white or pink to blue or purple; they are yellow at

1739-404: The plants include the Colorado potato beetle , the potato tuber moth , the green peach aphid ( Myzus persicae ), the potato aphid , Tuta absoluta , beet leafhoppers , thrips , and mites . The Colorado potato beetle is considered the most important insect defoliator of potatoes, devastating entire crops. The potato cyst nematode is a microscopic worm that feeds on the roots, thus causing

1786-493: The potato is Mexico, where important wild species that have been used extensively in modern breeding are found, such as the hexaploid S. demissum , used as a source of resistance to the devastating late blight disease ( Phytophthora infestans ). Another relative native to this region, Solanum bulbocastanum , has been used to genetically engineer the potato to resist potato blight. Many such wild relatives are useful for breeding resistance to P. infestans . Little of

1833-421: The potato plants to wilt. Since its eggs can survive in the soil for several years, crop rotation is recommended. On a small scale, potatoes can be harvested using a hoe or spade, or simply by hand. Commercial harvesting is 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

1880-470: The potatoes are unloaded from the field vehicles and put into storage. Glycoalkaloids A prototypical glycoalkaloid is solanine (composed of the sugar solanose and the alkaloid solanidine ), which is found in the potato . The alkaloidal portion of the glycoalkaloid is also generically referred to as an aglycone . The intact glycoalkaloid is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract , therefore causing gastrointestinal irritation. The aglycone

1927-402: The size of the tuber and environmental conditions. 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 tomatoes , each containing about 300 very small seeds . Like the tomato , potatoes belong to the genus Solanum , which is a member of

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1974-413: The soil is then broken up with a disc harrow . The potatoes are planted using a potato planter machine in rows 80 centimetres (31 in) apart. At garden scale, potatoes are planted in trenches or individual holes some 15 centimetres (5.9 in) deep in soil, preferably with additional organic matter such as garden compost or manure. Alternatively, they can be planted in containers or bags filled with

2021-557: 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

2068-737: 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 Phytophthora infestans , spread rapidly through the poorer communities of western Ireland as well as parts of the Scottish Highlands , resulting in the crop failures that led to the Great Irish Famine . The International Potato Center , based in Lima , Peru, holds 4,870 types of potato germplasm , most of which are traditional landrace cultivars. In 2009

2115-580: The world, especially their colonies. European and colonial farmers were slow to adopt farming potatoes, but after 1750 they became an important food staple and field crop and played a major role in the European 19th century population boom. 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. However, lack of genetic diversity , due to

2162-487: Was cloned by Wageningen University and Solynta in 2021, which would allow for faster and more focused breeding. Diploid hybrid potato breeding is a recent area of potato genetics supported by the finding that simultaneous homozygosity and fixation of donor alleles is possible. Wild potato species useful for breeding blight resistance include Solanum desmissum and S. stoloniferum , among others. There are some 5,000 potato varieties worldwide, 3,000 of them in

2209-450: Was first domesticated in southern Peru and northwestern Bolivia by pre-Columbian farmers, around Lake Titicaca . Potatoes were domesticated there about 7,000–10,000 years ago from a species in the S. brevicaule complex. The earliest archaeologically verified potato tuber remains have been found at the coastal site of Ancon (central Peru ), dating to 2500 BC. The most widely cultivated variety, Solanum tuberosum tuberosum ,

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