57-478: See list The potato ( / p ə ˈ t eɪ t oʊ / ) 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
114-500: A New World family. Mandragora is suggested to have originated around 20 million years ago, arriving in Eurasia through the agency of birds, with the main split between the species occurring around 10 million years ago. As of March 2015 , major online plant databases (such as Tropicos , The Plant List , and GRIN Taxonomy for Plants ) accept different numbers of species in the genus Mandragora . Three species are accepted in
171-647: 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
228-469: A 1998 review of the genus and by GRIN. Other sources keep M. autumnalis and M. chinghaiensis as separate species. Like many members of the Solanaceae, species of Mandragora contain highly biologically active alkaloids, tropane alkaloids in particular. Hanuš et al. reviewed the phytochemistry of Mandragora species. More than 80 substances have been identified; their paper gives
285-504: A berry ). The genus Mandragora was first used in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus in the first edition of Species Plantarum where the Mediterranean species Mandragora officinarum was described, which is thus the type species of the genus. (Linnaeus later changed his mind and in 1759 placed M. officinarum in the genus Atropa as A. mandragora . ) Jackson and Berry (1979) and Ungricht et al. (1998) have documented
342-436: 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
399-715: 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
456-546: 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
513-428: A rosette at the base of the plant. The flowers are sometimes borne on a short stalk ( scape ), and are solitary, with whorls of five parts. The sepals are joined at the base, as are the petals , both in the shape of a lobed bell. The stamens are shorter than the petals, joined to the floral tube towards the base. The ovary has two chambers ( locules ). After fertilization, a yellow or orange fruit forms ( botanically
570-551: 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
627-530: 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 ,
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#1732780028063684-499: Is a plant genus belonging to the nightshade family ( Solanaceae ). Members of the genus are known as mandrakes . Between three and five species are placed in the genus. The one or two species found around the Mediterranean constitute the mandrake of ancient writers such as Dioscorides . Two or three further species are found eastwards into China. All are perennial herbaceous plants , with large tap roots and leaves in
741-470: 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
798-759: 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
855-445: 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
912-632: 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
969-601: 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
1026-542: 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 ,
1083-715: The Levant ( Mandragora autumnalis ) from those found in the rest of the Mediterranean area ( Mandragora officinarum ) suggest that there are two clades in the genus - one based in the Mediterranean and beyond to Turkmenistan and Iran, and one in the Sino-Himalayan region. A simplified cladogram based on these studies is shown below. In one of the studies, M. chinghaiensis was embedded within M. caulescens . Mandragora turcomanica Mandragora autumnalis Mandragora officinarum Mandragora caulescens Mandragora chinghaiensis The Solanaceae are primarily
1140-640: 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
1197-558: 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
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#17327800280631254-485: The 1820s, Antonio Bertoloni used flowering time to name two species as Mandragora vernalis , the spring-flowering mandrake, and Mandragora autumnalis , the autumn-flowering mandrake. Identifying the former as Linnaeus's M. officinarum , works such as Flora Europaea listed two Mediterranean species of Mandragora : M. officinarum and M. autumnalis . Using statistical analysis of morphological characters, Ungricht et al. found no distinct clusters among
1311-621: 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
1368-490: 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
1425-639: 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
1482-485: 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
1539-426: 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
1596-501: 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
1653-507: 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
1710-525: 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
1767-402: The cultivated potato has a single origin, in 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
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1824-493: The detailed chemical structure of 37 of them. The different parts of the plant contain different proportions and concentrations of alkaloids, with the roots having the highest concentrations. Alkaloids present include atropine , apoatropine , belladonnine , cuscohygrine , hyoscyamine , scopolamine (hyoscine), 3α-tigloyloxytropane , and 3α,6β-ditigloyloxytropane . M. caulescens and M. turcomanica are also reported to contain anisodamine . Clinical reports of
1881-426: 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
1938-403: The effects of consumption of plants described as M. autumnalis ( M. offinarum sensu lato ) include severe symptoms similar to those of atropine poisoning, including blurred vision, dilation of the pupils ( mydriasis ), dryness of the mouth, difficulty in urinating, dizziness, headache, vomiting, blushing, and a rapid heart rate ( tachycardia ). Hyperactivity and hallucinations also occurred in
1995-573: The form of a rosette . Individual flowers are bell-shaped, whitish through to violet, and followed by yellow or orange berries . Like many members of the Solanaceae, species of Mandragora contain highly biologically active alkaloids that make the plants poisonous. Their roots in particular have a long use in traditional medicine . Mandrakes are involved in many myths and superstitions. Species of Mandragora are perennial herbaceous plants. They have large vertical tap roots, sometimes forked. Their stems are short or virtually absent. The leaves form
2052-426: 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;
2109-482: 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
2166-539: The majority of patients. Mandragora species have a long use in traditional medicine, extracts being used for their real or supposed aphrodisiac, hypnotic, emetic, purgative, sedative, and pain-killing effects. Tropane alkaloids are known to be effective as analgesics and anaesthetics, and can be used to increase circulation and dilate pupils, among other effects. Hyoscine and anisodamine are used medicinally in China. Continued use of M. autumnalis in folk medicine
2223-682: 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
2280-650: 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
2337-403: 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
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2394-490: 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
2451-420: 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
2508-573: The potatoes are unloaded from the field vehicles and put into storage. Taxonomic synonyms of Solanum tuberosum The potato , Solanum tuberosum , has at least 438 taxonomic synonyms, as listed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew website Plants of the World Online . The attribution after each synonym is to the authors who first described the species under that name. Mandragora (genus) See text Mandragora
2565-468: The same tribe or subtribe as at least the first of these genera. Molecular phylogenetic studies suggest that the genus belongs in the large subfamily Solanoideae, but that within this subfamily, it is one of a number of isolated genera with no immediate relatives. It has thus been placed in its own tribe, Mandragoreae. Within the genus, studies have used different circumscriptions of the Mediterranean mandrakes. Two studies that separate plants found in
2622-410: The second half of the 16th century from the Americas. They are 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
2679-399: 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
2736-412: 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
2793-599: The specimens they examined and concluded that Linnaeus's M. officinarum is a single, variable species. Other sources divide M. officinarum sensu lato differently. Plants from the western Mediterranean, from Turkey westwards to the Iberian peninsula and Morocco, are placed in M. officinarum ; plants from the eastern Mediterranean, from Syria to Israel, are placed in M. autumnalis . Traditionally, Mandragora has been considered to be closely related to Atropa and Lycium , being grouped together in
2850-557: 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
2907-436: The subsequent confusion over the number of Mediterranean species of Mandragora and their scientific names. Dioscorides was among those who distinguished between "male" and "female" mandrakes, a distinction used in 1764 when Garsault published the names Mandragora mas and Mandragora foemina . The size and shape of the fruit and the colour and time of appearance of the flowers have been used to distinguish possible species. In
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#17327800280632964-734: 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
3021-576: 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
3078-637: The world, while the most rapid expansion in production during 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
3135-483: 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
3192-443: 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 ,
3249-545: Was reported in Sicily in 2014. M. caulescens (as M. chinghaiensis ) has been listed as a Chinese medicinal plant needing conservation. The presence of deliriant and hallucinogenic alkaloids and the sometimes vaguely humanoid shape of their roots have led to mandrakes being associated with a variety of myths and superstitious practices throughout history. However, the plants used in this way are not always species of Mandragora ; for example, bryony ( Bryonia )
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