lec 27 Flashcards
where are potatoes native to? when did they get domesticated?
native to south america, domesticated some 7000 to 10000 years ago
got introduced to europe in 1500s but was relatively unsuccessful
what happened during the irish potato famines?
british people were being dicks and taking all the good irish land, so all the irish could grow was potatoes. then potato late blight hit in 1845, and the irish had nothing left
–> were forced to emigrate or starve
where did the potato find success in europe?
ireland , which became a staple food during wartimes
an acre of potatoes could feed a family of 8 for a year which was pretty good
how important are potatoes in terms of being a food source?
one of the top five world crops
a 150g potato contains 100 calories which is good for survival (bad for macros though :p)
what part of the potato do we usually eat?
the rhizome, a modified underground stem that comes off of the stolon
potatoes do technically grow from seeds, but most often they arise as tubers coming off of ‘eyes’ of already existing potatoes
how should we store potatoes?
cool, dry, dark conditions
not cold though: potatoes will freeze at about -2 and rot upon thawing
not hot either: potato tuber formation slows at 20, and stops at 30
also potatoes turn toxic when exposed to the sun
compare and contrast ideal tuberization vs vegetative shoot production conditions.
tuberization (creation of a clone): short photoperiods, cool temps, and lower soil nitrogen
vegetative (the plant itself growing): longer days, higher temps, higher nitrogen
under what conditions are potatoes toxic?
exposure to light
when exposed to light, chlorophyll kicks in, initiating the production of solanine and choconine which are toxic glycoalkaloids that protects the potato
also carcinogenic when its store in the fridge as starches convert into reducing sugars?? idk how this benefits the potato
what is potato late blight, and what does it look like? what conditions does it occur?
small water-soaked spots on the leaf which enlarge to form brown lesions with light green halos –> turn into black necrotic lesions
favoured by low temps, high humidity
caused by spores which can spread up to 100km in storms
what is bacterial ring rot, and what does it look like in potatoes? what conditions does it occur?
tuber rapidly decays, with a dark ring forming in the tuber
occurs in wet soil, where bacteria thrive
can remain latent and symptomless for generations
what is aster yellows, and what does it look like in potatoes? what conditions does it occur?
phytoplasma transferred by insect hosts
leaves turn redidsh and curl upwards
what is leaf roll virus, and what does it look like in potatoes? what conditions does it occur?
disease spread by aphids, which kills off the above ground plant and fucks up the tbuber
what is the colorado potato beetle, and how does it fuck on potatoes?
u remember that toxic glycoalkaloid that potatoes create when they got chlorophyll going? the beetles are immune –> can run through a field quickly
also eats other members of the solanaceae family, incl tomatoes and eggplants
how are potatoes important for alberta economy?
alberta is the major potato seed producer and exporter in canada
the harvest year is finished. how are new potatoes propagated?
tubers are cut up into sections, each with its own eye. these sections are then planted around in their own soil to become new potato plants.
