POTATO INFORMATION, NUTRIENTS, BENEFITS
- The botanical name of potato is Solanum tuberosum.
- It is an underground, starchy stem.
- It is the world’s 4th largest food crop.
- There are over 1000s of different types of potatoes.
- But the green leaves and green skin become highly toxic when exposed to sunlight.
- Potato plants are herbaceous. They grow upto 60 cm long. They are perennial plants.
- Potatoes are mostly cross-pollinated by bees.
- They can be propagated vegetatively by their tubers.
- Potato plant is a tetraploid plant with 48 chromosomes.
- The International Potato Centre holds a collection of germplasm.
- Most modern potatoes are grown in North America.
- It was the staple crop of Ireland. But a fungus Phytophthora infestans infected the crop and caused Great Irish famine.
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