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Potatoes

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The potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a herbaceous annual that grows up to 100 cm tall and produces a tuber – also called potato – so rich in starch that it ranks as the world’s fourth most important food crop, after maize, wheat and rice. As the potato plant grows, its compound leaves manufacture starch that is transferred to the ends of its underground stems (or stolons). The stems thicken to form a few or as many as 20 tubers close to the soil surface.

Narrower Topics

Related Topics: Insects, Potatoes, Pests

Related Topics: Potatoes, Vegetable Pest Management

Related Topics: Potatoes, Variety Trials

Publications

Showing 6 of 6 Publications

thumbnail for publication: Seed Piece Spacing Adjustment for Florida Chipping Potato

Seed Piece Spacing Adjustment for Florida Chipping Potato

Fernanda Souza Krupek, Steven A. Sargent, Peter J. Dittmar, and Lincoln Zotarelli

thumbnail for publication: Potato Physiological Disorders—Internal Heat Necrosis

Potato Physiological Disorders—Internal Heat Necrosis

Lincoln Zotarelli, Christine M. Worthington, Chad M. Hutchinson, Seth Byrd, Douglas Gergela, and Diane Rowland

thumbnail for publication: Growing Potatoes in the Florida Home Garden

Growing Potatoes in the Florida Home Garden

Christian T. Christensen, Joel Reyes-Cabrera, Libby R. Rens, Jeffrey E. Pack, Lincoln Zotarelli, Chad Hutchinson, Wendy J. Dahl, Doug Gergela, and James M. White

thumbnail for publication: Chapter 14. Potato Production

Chapter 14. Potato Production

Lincoln Zotarelli, De-Fen Mou, Peter J. Dittmar, Pamela D. Roberts, Johan Desaeger, Evelyn V. "Prissy" Fletcher, andBonnie Wells

Chapter 14 of the Vegetable Production Handbook of Florida

thumbnail for publication: Potato Vine Killing or Desiccation

Potato Vine Killing or Desiccation

Lincoln Zotarelli, Steven Sargent, Peter J. Dittmar, andMildred Makani

Proper tuber maturity at harvest is an important factor in producing high quality Florida fresh market potatoes. A mature tuber has improved skin-set, bruise resistance, and storage life. Vine killing not only benefits tuber appearance but can also limit tuber size and improve tuber release from the vine at harvest. Tubers naturally mature as the potato plant senesces. However, improved production methods cause potato vines to remain healthy and green longer into the season. Tuber maturation can be artificially induced by killing the potato vines. The three traditional methods for vine killing are mechanical, chemical, and combinations of the mechanical and chemical methods.

thumbnail for publication: Seed Piece Spacing Recommendations for Table-Stock Potato Cultivars in Florida

Seed Piece Spacing Recommendations for Table-Stock Potato Cultivars in Florida

Christian T. Christensen, Lakesh Sharma, andLincoln Zotarelli

This new 6-page publication of the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department focuses on the adjustment of potato seed piece spacing of table-stock cultivars for Florida production. The aim is to provide management strategies that minimize potato seed costs, increase yield, and reach the marked demand for specific tuber size distribution, all of which are important factors for the table-stock potato industry. Written by Mario H. M. L. Andrade, Luis G. Pesantes, Christian T. Christensen, Lakesh Sharma and Lincoln Zotarelli.