The Economic Importance of the Potato

Abstract

The potato, Solarium tubersum subsp. tuberosum and andigena and seven other related species, are cultivated, namely S. ajanhuiri, S. chaucha, S. curtilobum, S. goniocalyx, S. juzepczukii, S. phureja and S. stenotomum. Interestingly, clones of S. phureja are likely to form new potato cultivars for Europe. The potato is grown as a major crop in countries in different climatological zones, including temperate regions, the sub-tropics and tropics, under very different agro-ecological conditions, lowlands and highlands and in very different socio-economic environments. Currently, the crop is grown on a significant scale in about 130 countries.