Potato (Solanum tuberosum, family Solanaceae) was domesticated and cultivated by farmers in southern Peru for more than 10,000 years. It was introduced to Europe in the 16th century and subsequently reached Iran in the 17th century. However, the apparent disappearance of potato cultivation across much of Iran during the 18th century, followed by its reintroduction in the 19th century and subsequent promotion by the state, presents a puzzling historical trajectory. This puzzle can be better understood through a careful examination of historical accounts alongside cultural, economic, linguistic, and social evidence found in travelogues, diaries, cookbooks, accounting records, and official documents. As a result, four major routes of introduction of potato cultivation into Iran were identified and discussed in detail, as follows: (A) Introduction by European merchants or diplomats, including Portuguese, Dutch, French, or English actors, via southern Iran in the 17th century; (B) Introduction via the Indian subcontinent by Indian or Iranian merchants and scholars in the 17th century; (C) Introduction through northwestern Iran by Russian merchants or diplomats during the 18th and 19th centuries; and (D) Introduction via central Iran by British agents in the 19th century. Considering the fact that the multiple and asynchronous waves of potato introduction to Iran take almost two-hundred years to gain the acceptance of the plant by the Iranian population, it suggests that the success or failure of introducing, cultivating and consuming a crop such as potato depends not only on its nutritional and agronomic merits but also on a complex interplay of historical, economic, and cultural factors, some of which are their accessibility, affordability, cultural acceptability, political intentionality of their introduction and their culinary integrability.
Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) represents a significant threat to global potato production, necessitating robust and scalable detection methods for effective disease management in breeding programs and seed production. While quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) offers high sensitivity and throughput for PSTVd detection, the associated nucleic acid extraction procedures are often costly and labor-intensive, creating barriers to widespread, routine screening. This study describes the adaptation and validation of a rapid and cost-effective nucleic acid extraction protocol for efficient PSTVd detection in potato leaf tissue. When integrated with an RT-qPCR and melt curve assay, this simplified extraction method enables efficient and accurate viroid detection. This optimized workflow significantly reduces the financial and logistical hurdles of molecular diagnostics, thereby facilitating higher-throughput screening and more accessible surveillance of PSTVd. This advancement supports improved disease control strategies and contributes to the long-term security and sustainability of potato cultivation.
Agricultural productivity is central to food security in Afghanistan, yet the determinants of potato productivity among smallholder farmers in Baghlan Province remain empirically underexplored, particularly the joint influence of physical inputs and socio-economic characteristics. This study addresses this gap using a parametric transcendental production function. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews with a stratified random sample of 380 potato farmers, selected across the province’s major producing districts using Cochran’s formula. The results show that cultivated area, phosphate and nitrogen fertilizers, seeds, insecticides, labor, and machinery are significantly and positively associated with output, whereas irrigation water applied well above the estimated agronomic crop water requirement is significantly and negatively associated with production. Among socio-economic factors, education, farming experience, and family size are positively associated with productivity, while farmer age is negatively associated with productivity. These findings imply that improving potato productivity requires efficient irrigation, better input access, and stronger extension services.
The physiological quality of seed potato tubers during storage is important for maintaining their subsequent performance. This study evaluated the effects of harvest timing and storage temperature on Asterix and Orchestra seed potato tubers produced in Rio Paranaíba, Brazil. Tubers were harvested on August 10 and September 15, 2024, stored at 1.5, 3.5, or 6.5 °C, and evaluated for up to 120 and 90 days, respectively. Sprouting, mass loss, starch, reducing sugars, and total soluble sugars were assessed during storage. Storage at 1.5 °C was the most effective in delaying sprout development in both cultivars, whereas greater sprouting generally occurred at 6.5 °C. Mass loss and carbohydrate concentrations showed more complex responses depending on harvest timing, storage temperature, and duration. These results demonstrate that integrating harvest timing and storage temperature is important for managing seed potato physiological quality and storage potential.
Pathogens present in or on seed potatoes represent a risk for farmers because they can reduce the yield or quality of subsequent potato crops. However, data on the frequency that different pathogens occur in seed lots rarely exist for diseases that do not produce overt symptoms or signs as they are often not assessed by seed certification programs. From 2016 to 2025, we surveyed seed lots entering Oregon for the presence of Spongospora subterranea f. sp. subterranea (Sss), the causal agent of powdery scab, and potato mop-top virus (PMTV). Across nine years, we detected Sss, PMTV, and Sss and PMTV in 77.1
Planta ssp. andigena line 7540, a key model for tuberization, exhibits a recalcitrance to Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. This study aimed to improve leaf regeneration efficiency by optimizing the source plant'sin vitro pre-cultivation: control conditions (non-permeable lids, 2
Nitrogen (N) management in Florida potato production is a major agronomic and environmental challenge due to coarse-textured sandy soils and seepage irrigation, which accelerate nutrient losses. Microbial biostimulants may enhance potato yield and nitrogen use efficiency in the sandy soils typical of northeast Florida, supporting both productivity and environmental stewardship. A two-year field study was conducted on two different sites to evaluate the interactive effects of five N fertilization rates (0-314 kg N ha-1) and a microbial biostimulant on potato yield, tuber quality, soil N dynamics, and microbial biomass. Total and marketable yields increased quadratically with N fertilizer application, reaching a plateau around 205-208 kg N ha-1. Total yield ranged from 17.8 Mg ha-1 to 31.3 Mg ha-1. Higher N inputs did not enhance yield, but increased subsurface nitrate concentrations, indicating a greater risk of leaching. Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) indices were highest at moderate N rates (78-157 kg N ha-1) and declined sharply with higher N fertilization. Microbial biomass carbon (MBC) decreased with increasing N while microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) remained stable. The microbial biostimulant used in this study had no effects on yield, NUE, or microbial parameters. These findings highlight that potato production in northeast Florida is optimized at around 200 kg N ha-1, above which both efficiency and environmental sustainability decline. Moreover, under sandy soils with low organic matter (OM), microbial biostimulants provided limited agronomic or microbial benefits. This study reinforces the importance of BMP-based N recommendations and indicates that soil properties such as soil OM and water management likely influence microbial dynamics in sandy systems.
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a key agricultural food and income-generating crop that also serves as a viable and economically attractive alternative to poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, particularly in Nangarhar Province. Even with high production levels, producers encounter several marketing challenges, including a lack of storage facilities, limited market awareness, and high transportation costs. This study examines the factors that influence the potatoes marketed surplus. The primary data were collected from a random sample of 180 farmers within the total population of potato producers in the districts of Batikot, Chaprahar, and Rodat in Nangarhar province. To ensure that the results are representative, log-linear OLS and quantile regression models were applied to obtain comprehensive empirical estimates. The results indicate that each household produces an average of 7,553 kg of potatoes per season. A portion is kept for domestic consumption and other needs, while approximately 82
Groundwater nitrogen contamination is a concern where potato (Solanum tuberosum) is produced on coarse-textured, low organic matter soils with poor water and nutrient holding capacity. Potato was intercropped with yellow mustard (Sinapis alba) and winter rye (Secale cereale), and low-rate supplemental banded (53 kg N ha− 1; 175 kg N ha− 1 total seasonal rate) fertilizer applications were compared to standard rate broadcast (158 kg N ha− 1; 280 kg N ha− 1 total seasonal rate) fertilizer applications. Potato yield and intercrop growth and nitrogen uptake were quantified. Intercrops grew poorly in a wet year and were outcompeted by potato, but performed well in a year with average precipitation and accumulated up to 25.7 kg N ha− 1 in yellow mustard and 8.0 kg N ha− 1 in winter rye. Neither intercropping nor fertilizer treatment negatively impacted potato total marketable yield in either study year. Though intercrop establishment and success appear to vary with climatic conditions, integrating intercrops and low-rate banded fertilizer applications could be a low-risk technique to presumably reduce in-season nitrogen leaching risk while maintaining potato yields.
Understanding genotype-by-environment interaction (G×E) is essential for breeding potato cultivars adapted to different regions. We analyzed 13,000 tetraploid breeding lines evaluated over 17 years in Denmark (DK), Spain (ES), and Morocco (MO), representing Scandinavian and Mediterranean mega-environments. A pedigree-based mixed model was fitted for yield, tuber size, and resistance towards scab. Significant G×E was detected for yield and scab, evidenced by lack of unit genetic correlations between environments, heterogeneous genetic variances, and differing heritabilities. Additive genetic correlations for yield were 0.54 (DK–ES), 0.64 (DK–MO), and 0.78 (ES–MO); scab correlation between DK and ES MO was 0.6. Yield genetic variance in ES was more than twice compared with DK and MO, whereas scab variance was higher in DK. Tuber size showed weaker G×E (ra = 0.82). Within mega-environments, genotype × environment components explained 16.8–26.9
This study investigated the epidemic temporal dynamics of potato late blight epidemic and its meteorological driving mechanisms in Chongqing mountainous areas from 2020 to 2022 based on principal component analysis (PCA), Pearson correlation analysis, grey relational analysis (GRA), and lag effect models. The PCA and Pearson correlation analysis results indicated that daily mean temperature served as the core driver with a variance contribution of 58.7
Cutting black is an internal dark gray/black discoloration associated with pressure bruise in potatoes stored in piles, where sustained compression causes flattened areas and enzymatic browning. This defect leads to significant post-harvest losses, particularly affecting the fresh market. This 2-year study evaluated the effects of 1-methylcyclopropene, nitric oxide, and diphenylamine on cutting black development during simulated bulk storage of Russet Burbank potatoes. Tubers were stored at 7.2 °C and 95
This study aimed to assess the efficacy of fluopyram (Lufuda) in controlling Ditylenchus destructor (rot nematode) in sandy soils of China and to evaluate its marginal return on investment. Field trials were conducted in Yulin City, Shaanxi Province, during 2023 and 2024. The study compared six nematicide treatments: T1 (Lufuda), T2 (Judiyou), T3 (Xuelongsu), T4 (Wood vinegar solution), T5 (Thiamethoxam + Abamectin), T6 (Nematode Buster + 60 billion microbial agent), and an untreated control. The results indicated that T1 (Lufuda) achieved the best control effect against the potato rot nematode over the two-year trial, with relative control efficacies of 68.52
The Colombian Central Collection of potatoes (CCC) is one of the most diverse germplasm resources in the country and a primary source of genetic variability for breeding. Approximately 67 h^2 > 0.55), and genomic prediction achieved predictive abilities of up to 0.84 for primary flower color and 0.71 for stem color. We conclude that these findings provide new insights into the genetic control of color traits in Andigenum potatoes, identify valuable molecular markers for selection, and underscore the importance of conserving and utilizing traditional landraces for the development of nutritionally enhanced cultivars and advancement of food security.
Potato dormancy is a major obstacle in post-harvest evaluations for the certification of seed. Objectives of this study were to evaluate the efficacy of several treatments to break dormancy and induce sprouting soon after harvest for Russet Burbank, Clearwater Russet, and Umatilla Russet. Treatments included: (a) control held at 18.3 C, (b) cold-stratification held at 4.4 C for two weeks, (c) temperature fluctuation held at 4.4 C for five days, 18.3 C for four days, then 4.4 C for five days, (d) a dip in 20 ppm gibberellic acid (GA) solution, e, f, g) three different applications of cold aerosol smoke, and h) a combination of cold aerosol smoke followed by a dip in GA solution. Treatments were applied at three separate timings (individual trials) approximately four (October), six (November), and 10 (December) weeks after harvest and repeated over two years. Sprout development was evaluated weekly following each application. Treatments were more effective at promoting sprouting at later application timings. Cold-stratification and temperature fluctuations did not significantly increase the odds or probability of sprout development for any application timing or cultivar compared to the control. Smoke and GA based treatments increased the odds of having greater sprout development compared to the control at each timing. The combination of smoke and GA significantly encouraged sprout development and sprout length compared to the control. This study provided efficacy data for several dormancy breaking techniques that could be used for seed certification post-harvest testing, greenhouse production, or multiple cropping within a year.
Early blight caused by Alternaria solani remains a major constraint to sustainable potato production, often managed through repeated prophylactic fungicide applications. This study develops a UAV-based, multi-feature machine-learning framework for early blight detection and precision spray zoning using low-cost RGB imagery under realistic field conditions. Ultra-high-resolution UAV images from two growing seasons (2019 and 2022) were analyzed using a publicly available, expert-annotated dataset. In addition to conventional RGB vegetation indices, including the Excess Green Index (ExG) and the Visible Atmospherically Resistant Index (VARI), a Chlorophyll–Water Content Index (CWCI) was evaluated as a stress-sensitive trait and integrated with RGB statistical features, LAB color-space descriptors, and texture metrics. Five machine-learning classifiers were compared using stratified five-fold cross-validation. Ensemble-based models outperformed linear approaches, with Random Forest achieving the most stable performance (mean ROC-AUC ≈ 0.79; accuracy ≈ 0.72). Feature-importance analysis revealed that texture and color-space features were dominant predictors, while CWCI ranked among the most informative spectral traits, demonstrating its complementary value within a multi-feature framework rather than as a standalone index. Classifier outputs were further translated into risk-based spray zones to evaluate agronomic relevance. Simulated variable-rate spraying scenarios indicated that restricting fungicide application to moderate- and high-risk zones could reduce treated area by approximately 44–50
Late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans, remains one of the most devastating diseases of potato worldwide, which causes significant yield losses in major potato growing regions. Its ‘Irish Potato Famine’ history reminds us of a lesson, how a single pathogen with high genetic plasticity and an ability to exploit monoculture systems, can destabilize food systems at continental scales. This underscores the need for durable, sustainable resistance for this deadly pathogen. Breeding for resistance is widely recognized as the most sustainable and environmentally friendly approach to manage this disease. This review summarizes recent advancements in both conventional and molecular potato breeding strategies, which also highlights their integration into practical potato breeding programs. Traditional approaches such as gene pyramiding and introgression of resistance (R) genes from wild Solanum relatives are now complemented by modern tools which includes marker-assisted selection (MAS), haplotype based GWAS, genomic selection (GS), pan-genomics and gene editing via CRISPR/Cas9 to accelerate the development of late blight-resistant cultivars with broad-spectrum and durable resistance. Integrating these molecular tools with conventional phenotypic selection is shown to shorten breeding cycles and enhance cultivar adaptation to evolving new pathogen populations. Emerging new resources like pan-genomics and haplotype analysis provide a more comprehensive understanding of potato genetic diversity, which enables the identification of novel resistance alleles for crop improvement. Despite significant progress, challenges remain: P. infestans is highly adaptive, environmental variability can undermine resistance, and the potato tetraploid genome complicates genetic analysis and breeding. Achieving long-lasting late blight control will require a multifaceted approach that combines multiple R genes or quantitative resistance loci with broader integrated disease management practices. Finally, future directions emphasize linking breeding with integrated disease management and incorporating multi-omics data and climate-resilience considerations into breeding programs to ensure long-term, sustainable control of late blight. Late blight remains a global threat to potato production. Molecular tools enhance efficiency and durability of resistance breeding. Genomic selection and CRISPR accelerate resistant cultivar development. Pangenomics reveals novel resistance alleles in Solanum species. Durable control requires resistance genes and integrated disease management.
Dune Russet (COTX08063-2Ru) is the first French fry russet potato cultivar released by the Texas A M Potato Breeding Program. It derives from a cross made by the Colorado State University Potato Program between Premier Russet and A99073-1 and was subsequently selected and advanced by the Texas Program. Dune Russet has oblong potato tubers with light russet skin texture and white flesh. It is characterized by having excellent French fry quality and cold-induced sweetening resistance, producing light-colored fries directly from the field and even after several months (three to eight) in cold storage at 4.4 °C. Dune Russet is especially recommended for areas that experience high-temperature stress during the growing season, as it can retain high specific gravity near 1.090 and produce light French fries despite heat stress. Across multi-location trials, Dune Russet outperformed the reference cultivar, Russet Burbank, and other processing cultivars in French fry quality, while offering some field-based PVY tolerance and good agronomic performance, including competitive marketable yields and a high proportion of US No. 1 tubers.
In 2021, the insect Bactericera cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae), vector of the causal agents of Potato Purple Top Disease (PPTD), was reported for the first time at Colombia, specifically in the Nariño state. Currently there is a great interest in maintaining the phytosanitary problem restricted to this zone or geographic area of the country, due to the yield and economic losses potential in other important producer regions of potato but also on other crops Solanaceae such as tree tomato, chili, pepper and cape gooseberry. This study aimed to design a methodology to detect these diseases in the region to mitigate their spread into the country. The evaluation was conducted in an experimental plot and seven commercial potato farms with presence of the cultivars Diacol Capiro and Superior, using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), equipped with a multispectral camera to capture images of health plants and with mild, intermediate and advanced symptoms of PPTD to estimate vegetation indices. The multispectral information, derived vegetation indices, and field symptom classes were analyzed using supervised machine-learning modeling to evaluate their capacity to discriminate disease-severity levels. Our results conclude that, for the two potato varieties evaluated, there is a decrease in reflectance between 550 and 600 nm in affected plants, suggesting an increase in light absorption in this part of the spectrum. Additionally, the Random Forest (RF) model excelled in detecting mild class using indices such as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Transformed Vegetation Index (TVI), whereas the Support Vector Machine (SVM) model showed higher sensitivity to detect disease advanced stages, where (TVI) and Green Chlorophyll Index (GCI) were identified as the most influential features in classification.
