1. Irish Potato

2. Key concepts Tuber versus root versus bulb Potato domestication and spread Potato use Seed pieces Hilling & mulching Harvesting Potato & GMOs

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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.)

8. 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

9. 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

10. Be Careful… Fruit and leaves are poisonous Contain the alkaloid _________ Parts of tuber which turn _________ after exposure to light are also poisonous

11. 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

12. Soil requirements Potatoes do best in soils that are: ___________ Fertile Well-___________ High in _______ matter Improves drainage for uniform moisture Reduces compaction

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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!

16. 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…

17. Insect Problems ________ potato beetle Control Bt, synthetic insecticides, pick off

18. 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