Potatoes

Solanum tuberosum

The Andean mountain region of South America is the birthplace of the potatoes that we eat today. The Spanish conquistadors introduced potatoes to Europe in the 1500’s. (Image at right: Pizzaro Going to Peru; image from US Capitol web site.)

By 1589, potatoes were cultivated in Ireland and arrived in the North American colonies in 1621. In 1845, a fungus-like organism (Phytophthora infestans) destroyed the potato crops in Ireland resulting in 1 million deaths from starvation and a massive emigration. (Image below: A starving family during the Irish Potato Famine; image from University of Virginia.)

A starving family during the Irish Potato Famine.

In the 1800’s, American horticulturists Luther Burbank, Revd. Chauncey Goodrich and others developed varieties of potatoes that produced larger, more plentiful tubers and were more resistant to disease. Today there are 5000 varieties of potato, and rank as the third most important agriculture crop in the world. Americans consume over 140 lbs of potatoes per person each year—almost half of them as French fries!

The following scientists in the Vegetable Lab conduct research on Potatoes:

Dr. Kenneth Deahl

Dr. Kathleen Haynes

Dr. Richard Jones

Dr. Leslie A.Wanner

(Above image: Different shapes and sizes of potato varieties are available; image # K9152-1 courtesy of the ARS Image Gallery.)

Nutritional Information for a Medium Sized Potato

110 Calories
3 grams protein
23 grams carbohydrates
0 grams fat
2710 milligrams dietary fiber,
10 milligrams sodium
750 milligrams potassium

Visit the Nutrient Data Laboratory for more information on the nutrient value of vegetables.