The potato

Question 1

What commonly known family is the potato a part of? What is a main feature of this family?

Answer 1

The nightshade family, very poisonous! Even the leafy parts of the potato plant are poisonous

Question 2

What part of the potato plant is consumed?

Answer 2

An underground stem section called a tuber used by the plant for nutrient storage

Question 3

Where does the potato plant come from? What people consumed it first? When was it initially domesticated?

Answer 3

Native to South America, first eaten by the Incas. Domesticated 7000-10000 years ago

Question 4

How was the potato brought to Europe? When? How was it initially received by the Europeans?

Answer 4

Brought back by the Spanish conquistadors ~1550, considered a “heathen food” and widely shunned

Question 5

How many of the >2000 species in the genus produce tubers?

Answer 5

~200

Question 6

Where on the scale of “Crops produced by tonnage” do potatoes fall?

Answer 6

5th on the list of highest crop production by weight

Question 7

How many varieties are kept for study at the International Potato Centre? Where is this?

Answer 7

~5000 varieties. The centre is in Peru

Question 8

How do potatoes reproduce?

Answer 8

From “seed potatoes”. The buds (eyes) on the potato produce tiny asexual copies of the parent

Question 9

What makes cultivation of potatoes so appealing compared to other crops?

Answer 9

Grows underground and so is resistant to weather. Also able to grow in temperate regions and produce more food in a smaller area than other crops

Question 10

What nutritional elements are present in potatoes?

Answer 10

Mainly starch, but also contains some protein. Also has several micronutrients (vit C, B6, and potassium)

Question 11

What alkaloids make parts of the potato plant toxic? What can cause these toxins to accumulate?

Answer 11

Solanine and tomatin. Concentrations increase when tubers are exposed to light and begin to photosynthesize

Question 12

What is meant by geophagy?

Answer 12

the practice of eating earth or soil-like substrates such as clay or chalk to line the gut and mitigate the effects of toxins

Question 13

What differentiates a bulb from a corm?

Answer 13

Bulb: modified, underground stem with papery leaves, as well as fleshy leaves which store food
Corm: similar, but store food in the stem

Question 14

What did potato farming in Europe lead to?

Answer 14

The development of industrialized monoculture agriculture, intensive external fertilization, application of synthetic/chemical peptides

Question 15

When did the potato get introduced to Ireland? By Who? Why?

Answer 15

Introduced in 1589 by Sir Walter Raleigh to try to relieve famine

Question 16

When was the most significant famine period in Europe? What crops were in shortage?

Answer 16

Between 1500-1800, mainly a shortage of grains from crop failure and over reliance

Question 17

What is King Frederick the Great known for? When did he do this?

Answer 17

Using reverse psychology to promote the cultivation of potatoes in Prussia in 1744 to counter famine

Question 18

Who was responsible for promoting the cultivation of potatoes in France?

Answer 18

M. Parmentier is thought to have gotten the kings ear. Helping to counter the effect of high wheat prices

Question 19

What country produces the most potatoes? What fraction of the world’s potato production does this account for?

Answer 19

China produces 1/4 of the world’s potato crop

Question 20

What history does Ireland have with potatoes?

Answer 20

by 1800s when famines ended, ~40% of Irish ate mostly potatoes. Later on (1847), potato blight devastated Irish population. Caused widespread death and emigration to U.S.

Question 21

What nutrient was discovered to be necessary for plant growth? Who discovered this? When?

Answer 21

In ~1840, von Liebig identified Nitrogen as being required for plant growth, also generally the scarcest soil nutrient

Question 22

What major import business was created from the need to fertilize crops, including potato? When did importing to Britain begin?

Answer 22

Guano from Peru harvested in vast quantities, first big industry in intensive crop fertilization. Britain began importing in 1800s

Question 23

What did the USA do in response to the guano trade deal between Peru and Britain?

Answer 23

Established the Guano Islands Act in 1856 laying claim to any “guano islands” which American mariners came across

Question 24

How did the guano import industry lead to scientific advancement?

Answer 24

Led to breakthroughs sequestering ammonia from atmospheric nitrogen in early 1900s. Led to first chemical fertilizer

Question 25

What reproductive feature of potatoes made the blight so devastating?

Answer 25

The potato reproduces asexually from buds, therefore each plant is genetically identical and very susceptible to diseases that are able to target this genome

Question 26

What effect did the Colorado potato beetle have on potato cultivation in North America? When did it become a major problem? What solved this? What industry did this give rise to?

Answer 26

in 1860s it came to N. America from Mexico. Massive infestation of crops, effectively controlled by ‘Paris Green’ pigment containing copper and arsenic. Gave rise to chemical pesticide industry

Question 27

What is the difference between the bitter and sweet varieties of cassava? How does their processing differ?

Answer 27

Depends on the concentrations of poisonous hydrocyanic acid (HCN), can be removed prior to consumption using many methods (ex. grating, boiling, drying, etc.)

Question 28

What can explain the presence of sweet potato in both South America and Polynesia?

Answer 28

Sweet potatoes are thought to have been introduced to South America by Polynesian seafarers, though it is also possible that the seeds dispersed on the wind or the ocean currents

Question 29

What are some commercial uses for starch?

Answer 29

Sweeteners, alcohols, solvents, adhesives, laundry