Irish Potato

Key concepts Tuber versus root

versus bulb Potato domestication

and spread Potato use Seed pieces Hilling & mulching Harvesting Potato & GMOs

Tubers, roots, and bulbs Tubers

Swollen underground _______ modified to store nutrients

Different from bulbs and roots

Tubers have buds called _____ that can sprout new plants

Tuber formation is accelerated by ______ days

Tubers, Bulbs, and Roots

Roots ______ that enlarges

and grows straight _______ into the soil

Examples: beets, carrots, radish

Enlarged _____ roots that are branched and spread _______ underground

Example: sweet potato

Tubers, Bulbs, and Roots

Bulbs Consist of fleshy _______ leaves

called ______ attached to a very short ________ plate

Swollen base of the leaves are usually eaten

Difference from tuber and root Stem does not ______ in size, but

the base of the leaves swell Require high temperatures and

_________ days for bulb formation

Basal plate

Potato Origins

Tuber-bearing species occur throughout the _________ areas of North and South America There is no _______ ancestor of Irish Potato

Wild species are very diverse Around Lake Titicaca and Lake Poopo in

_____ and _______ cultivated potatoes are still extremely variable

Domestication

Remains of cultivated potatoes have been found in deposits south of Lima, Peru, dating back to ________ B.C.

Potato widely cultivated in Inca times (______ A.D.)

European adoption First reported by

Europeans exploring S. America in ________

First report of use in Europe was in _______

______ in Spain Introduced to Ireland

around 1590 Irish Potato ________ 1845-1848 1 million died,

1.5 million emigrated

What slowed the adoption of by Europeans? Original potatoes

were adapted to forming tubers in response to ______ days

Why is this a problem?

Leaves, fruits, and ______ skin of tubers are poisonous

Be Careful…

Fruit and leaves are poisonous Contain the alkaloid _________ Parts of tuber which turn _________

after exposure to light are also poisonous

Potato Use High-_______ potatoes

Good for baking, mashing, and deep frying

e.g. white russets Low- _______ or _______

potatoes Hold shape after

cooking for boiling, potato salads, or scalloped potatoes

e.g. red-skinned or fingerling

Soil requirements Potatoes do best

in soils that are: ___________ Fertile Well-___________ High in _______

matter Improves drainage

for uniform moisture Reduces

compaction

Seed pieces May be small whole

potatoes or potatoes cut into 1 ½ to 2 oz. pieces

If cut pieces: Make sure they have

at least one ________ Let sit out for 1-3 days

to form ______ over cut area

Hilling potatoes

Gradually build up a loose ______ of soil around the plants

Helps to cover the potato tubers Prevents tubers

from turning green with a buildup of ________ and ____________

Also kills weeds

Mulching potatoes

Can apply ________ mulch over potatoes rather than soil

Advantages Improves _______ and helps maintain even

moisture Keeps weeds down Keeps soil _________ lower Tubers have good shape Easy to harvest!

Harvesting potatoes

“New” potatoes Dig early in summer

when tubers are 1 ½ to 2 inches in diameters

Plants are still ________ Main crop

Crop harvested after plants ______ and ______

Tubers are stored Must be careful to

avoid damaging potatoes when digging

Or innovate…

Insect Problems ________ potato

beetle Control

Bt, synthetic insecticides, pick off

Genetic Solution? ________ Potatoes

Developed by Monsanto

Contain a gene to produce their own Bt

Also resistant to leaf roll _______

Shunned by growers after ________ stopped buying them to avoid controversy

Monsanto advertisement