All about potatoes. The structure of the potato: root, tuber, stem and leaves

(the so-called "shelabolok" or "tomatoes").

Etymology

The traveler and naturalist Pedro Chiesa de Leone, after studying potatoes for more than 10 years in Peru, Bolivia and Chile, in the book “Chronicle of Peru”, published in 1553, reported that the Indians of South America call raw potatoes “papa”, and dried ones - “ Chunyu." But these names did not take root among the Spaniards and they say that for the outward resemblance of potato tubers to truffle mushrooms they gave the potato the name truffle, which in Italian is tartufo. The French, like some other peoples, for a long time called the potato "pomme de terre" - an earthen apple. In other European countries, naming was also common - "potates", "putatis", "pottes".

In some dialects of Germany, at the beginning of the spread of the potato, it was called "erdbirne" - an earthen pear, and in Italian - "tartuffoli", transforming it into a "tart" and later, possibly into a potato.

Some German potato scientists from the University of Rostock claim that the name "potato" comes from two German words: "kraft" - strength and "teufel" - the devil, and only then "kraft teufel" was transformed into potatoes = devilish strength. But these claims are doubtful, since the potato came to Germany later than it appeared in Italy, where the tubers already had this name.

The first botanical description of potatoes in England was made by the botanist of this country John Gerard in 1596 and 1597. in the book "Herbarium common history plants." But he described the potato under the erroneous name "Virgin Sweet Potato". Later, when this mistake was revealed, the real sweet potato had to be called sweet, and potatoes in England are called sweet potatoes.

John Gerard was sure that the English admiral (at the same time a pirate) Francis Drake brought potatoes to England. In 1584, on the site of the current US state of North Carolina, the English navigator, organizer of pirate expeditions, poet and historian Walter Raleigh (Voltaire Raleigh) founded a colony and named it Virginia. In 1585, F. Drake, returning from South America, visited this colony. The colonists complained to him about the hard life and asked to be taken back to England, which Drake did. They allegedly brought potato tubers to England. In fact, in Virginia (a state in the east North America) the potato was introduced only 120 years after the publication of D. Gerard's book from Ireland and was named "Irish yam" there.

The fruits and ground parts of the potato plant contain the alkaloid solanine, which can cause poisoning in humans and animals.

Biological features

Potato fruits are poisonous

Potatoes are propagated vegetatively - by tubers (and for breeding purposes - by seeds).

The best fertilizers are potassium salts, then bone meal, lime, manure.

Chemical composition and nutritional value

• water - 76,3 %
• dry matter- 23.7%, including
  • mineral salts - about 1%

The maximum content of dry matter in tubers is 36.8%, starch 29.4%, protein 4.6%, vitamins , , , , , and carotenoids.

Chemical composition tubers depends on the variety, growing conditions (climatic, weather, soil type, fertilizers used, cultivation techniques), tuber maturity, storage time and conditions, etc. On average, potatoes contain (in%): water 75%; starch 18.2; nitrogenous substances (crude protein) 2; sugars 1.5; fiber 1; fat 0.1; titratable acids 0.2; substances of phenolic nature 0.1; pectin substances 0.6; other organic compounds (nucleic acids, glycoalkaloids, hemicelluloses, etc.) 1.6; minerals 1.1.

Approximately distinguish varieties of potatoes with a high content of solids (more than 25%), medium (22-25%) and low (less than 22%).

Starch makes up 70-80% of all dry matter of the tuber; it is found in cells in the form of layered starch grains ranging in size from 1 to 100 microns, but more often 20-40 microns. The starch content depends on the precocity of varieties: it is higher in late-ripening ones.

During storage, the amount of starch in the tubers decreases as a result of its hydrolytic decomposition to sugars. To a greater extent, the starch content decreases at low temperatures (1-2°C). Sugars in potatoes are represented by glucose (about 65% of total sugar), fructose (5%) and sucrose (30%), maltose is found in small amounts, usually during germination of potatoes. Along with free sugars, potatoes contain phosphate esters of sugars (glucose-1-phosphate, fructose-6-phosphate, etc.).

There are few sugars in mature potatoes (0.5-1.5%), but they can accumulate (up to 6% or more) or disappear completely, which is observed during long-term storage. The decisive factor here is the temperature. The biological basis for the change in the content of sucrose is the different speeds of the three main processes of carbohydrate metabolism simultaneously occurring in tubers: starch saccharification, starch synthesis from sugars, and oxidative decomposition of sugars during respiration. These processes are regulated by the corresponding enzyme systems. It has been established that at a temperature of 10 ° C, 35.8 mg of sugar is formed in 1 kg of tubers and the same amount is consumed, at a lower temperature (0-10 ° C) there is an accumulation of sugar in the tuber (upon reaching a certain level, the sugar content remains constant), and at temperatures above 10 °C, more sugar is consumed than produced. Thus, the accumulation of sugar can be controlled by changing the storage temperature. The accumulation of sugars in tubers during storage also significantly depends on the potato variety.

An increase in sugar content by more than 1.5-2% adversely affects the quality of potatoes (during cooking, it darkens due to the formation of melanoidins, acquires a sweet taste, etc.). Crude fiber in the tuber contains about 1%, about the same amount of hemicelluloses, mainly pentosans, which, together with fiber, make up the bulk of the cell walls. The largest amount of fiber and pentosans is found in the periderm, much less in the cortex and even less in the area of ​​the vascular bundles and the core.

Pectin substances are polymeric compounds with a large molecular weight. They are built from residues of galacturonic acid, which is a product of glucose oxidation. The average content of pectin in potatoes is 0.7%. These substances are heterogeneous and occur in the form of protopectin, pectin, pectic and pectic acids. The last three compounds are commonly referred to as pectins (pectin). Protopectin is insoluble in water and is in a bound state, forming an intercellular layer in plant tissues. It serves as a cementing material for cells, causing the hardness of tissues. There is an opinion that protopectin consists of pectic acid molecules, the chains of which are interconnected through calcium, magnesium ions and phosphate "bridges"; in this case, the protopectin molecule can form complexes with cellulose and hemicelluloses.

Under the action of enzymes, when boiling in water, heating with dilute acids and alkalis, hydrolysis of protopectin occurs with the formation of water-soluble pectin. This explains the softening of potatoes during the cooking process.

Pectin is an ester of methyl alcohol and pectin acid. Pectin acid molecules contain few methoxyl groups, and pectic acid molecules do not contain them at all. All these compounds are soluble in water and are found in cell sap.

Pectin substances, having a high hydrophilicity, swelling ability and colloidal nature of solutions, play an important role as regulators of water metabolism in plants, and in products - in the formation of their structure.

Nitrogenous substances in potatoes make up 1.5-2.5%, of which a significant part is proteins. In general, protein nitrogen is 1.5-2.5 times more than non-protein nitrogen. Among non-protein substances, free amino acids and amides are present in significant amounts. An insignificant part of nitrogen is present in nucleic acids, some glycosides, B vitamins, in the form of ammonia and nitrates.

The main potato protein - tuberin - is a globulin (55-77% of all proteins); glutamines account for 20-40%. In terms of biological value, potato proteins are superior to the proteins of many grain crops and are not much inferior to the proteins of meat and eggs. The completeness of proteins is determined by the composition of amino acids and, in particular, by the ratio of essential amino acids. Potato protein and potato free amino acids contain all the amino acids found in plants, including the essential ones in a good ratio: lysine, methionine, threonine, tryptophan, valan, phenylalanine, leucine, isoleucine. Of the amides, the tubers contain asparagine and glutamine; among the nitrogen-containing glycosides are solanine, chaconine and scopoletin, which cause the bitterness of the skin, and sometimes the pulp, concentrated mainly in the integumentary tissues and upper layers of the tuber. The content of glycoalkaloids (solanine) in potatoes is about 10 mg%. increases during germination of tubers and storage in the light. Nitrogenous substances are unevenly distributed in the tuber: less in the zone of vascular bundles, increasing in directions towards the surface of the tuber and inside. The protein content is highest in the cortex and zone of vascular bundles and decreases towards the inner core, while non-protein nitrogen, on the contrary, is highest in the inner core and decreases towards the surface of the tuber.

Enzymes are organic catalysts that are formed in living cells in small quantities in potato tubers, a special place is occupied by hydrolases - amylase (α and β), caxapase (invertase); oxidoreductases - polyphenol oxidase (tyrosinase), peroxidase, ascorbinase, catalase, etc.; esterases - phosphorylase, etc.

Amylase hydrolyzes starch to maltose and dextrins, invertase breaks down sucrose into glucose and fructose. Polyphenol oxidase oxidizes phenolic compounds, and peroxidase also oxidizes aromatic amines. Catalase decomposes hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. Oxidoreductases play an important role in respiration.

An important task in the production of potato products is the inactivation of enzymes. In the process of technological processing, the outer layer of the potato is destroyed. Are being created favorable conditions for the interaction of easily oxidizing substances (polyphenols) with atmospheric oxygen under the catalytic action of oxidizing enzymes (peroxidases, etc.). As a result, dark-colored substances are formed - melanins, which worsen appearance and other quality products. Prevention of enzymatic reactions is achieved by a number of measures: heat treatment, as a result of which the protein carrier coagulates, which leads to the inactivation of enzymes; the use of substances (inhibitors) that form complexes with quinones before their polymerization; binding heavy metal ions. As inhibitors of enzymatic reactions, sulfur compounds, ascorbic acid, citric acid, etc. are most often used.

Vitamins determine the biological value of potatoes as a food product. Potato tubers contain on average (in mg per 100g): vitamin C 12; RR 0.57; B1 0.11; B2 0.66; B6 0.22; pantothenic acid 0.32; carotene (provitamin A) traces; inositol 29. Biotin (vitamin H) and vitamins E, K, etc. were found in small amounts.

Organic acids determine the acidity of potato cell sap. The pH value for potatoes is set in the range of 5.6-6.2. Potato contains citric, malic, oxalic, isocitric, lactic, pyruvic, tartaric, chlorogenic, quinic and other organic acids. Potatoes are richest in citric acid. When processed for starch, 1 ton of potatoes additionally receive at least 1 kg citric acid. Of the mineral acids in the tubers, phosphoric acid predominates, the content of which can be used to judge the accumulation of phosphorus.

Fats and lipids in potatoes average 0.10-0.15% wet weight. Palmitic, myristic, linoleic and linolenic acids are found in fats. The last two are of great nutritional importance, since they are not synthesized in the body of animals.

Potatoes are of great importance as a source of minerals. In potatoes, they are mainly represented by potassium and phosphorus salts; there are also sodium, calcium, magnesium, iron, sulfur, chlorine and trace elements - zinc, bromine, silicon, copper, boron, manganese, iodine, cobalt, etc. The total ash content in the tuber is about 1%, including (in mg% ): K2O - about 600, P - 60, - 21, Mg - 23, Ca-10. Mineral substances are unevenly distributed in the tuber: most of them are in the bark, less in the outer core, and more in the apical part than in the base.

The mineral elements in the tuber are mainly in an easily digestible form and are represented by alkaline salts, which help maintain the alkaline balance in the blood.

From coloring matter tubers contain carotenoids: 0.14 mg% in yellow-fleshed tubers and about 0.02 mg% in white-fleshed tubers. Flavones, flavonones and anthocyanins (cyanidin, delphinidin) were also found in the peel.

In a normal daily human diet, depending on activities and energy expenditure, the calorie content of food should be about 3,000 kcal (12,552 kJ). To obtain 100 kcal (418.4 kJ), the body must receive 107-120 g of potatoes or 300 g of carrots, 500 g of cabbage, 650 g of tomatoes, 1000 g of cucumbers with food. One kilogram of potatoes can provide 940 kcal (3933 kJ). The consumption of 300 g of potatoes provides the body with more than 10% of energy, an almost complete norm of vitamin C, about 50% of potassium, 10% of phosphorus, 15% of iron, 3% of calcium.

cultural history

The introduction of potatoes into culture (first through the exploitation of wild thickets) was started about 14 thousand years ago by the Indians of South America.

Poems and ballads were dedicated to potatoes.

The potato was once celebrated in his music by the great Johann Sebastian Bach [ ] .

Vodka made from potatoes is popular in modern Iceland.

Solanum tuberosum
Taxon: Solanaceae family ( Solanaceae)
Other names: tuberous nightshade, European potato, Chilean potato
English: potatoes

The Russian word "potato" comes from the German Kartoffel, which, in turn, comes from the Italian tartufo, tartufolo- truffle.

Botanical description

Perennial (annual in cultivation) herbaceous, bushy plant up to 60 cm high with a taproot, strongly developed root. Underground roots are white, forming fleshy edible tubers at the ends. Stems numerous, erect or ascending, faceted.
Leaves pinnately dissected, with several ovate leaflets. Potato flowers are large, white, purple, 2-4 cm in diameter, with a spike-shaped star-shaped corolla, collected in an inflorescence consisting of 2-3 curls. The fruit is a poisonous, spherical multi-seeded black-violet berry. Seeds yellow, very small. The color of potato tubers is different - white, yellow, red, purple.

Places of growth

Potato as a garden crop grows throughout Russia.

Collection and preparation

For medicinal purposes, flowers, potato shoots, its peel and underground tubers are used, which are harvested during their ripening period, on the waning moon from noon to sunset. One feature of potato tubers should be remembered: they must be stored in dark place. Otherwise (if the tubers lie in the light, especially in the sun), they take on a green color and become poisonous, unsuitable for food, much less for medicinal use.

The chemical composition of potatoes

According to some studies, potatoes contain a small amount of protein, which is extremely valuable, with a rich set of essential amino acids. Potato tubers on average contain about 76% water and 24% dry matter, including about 17.5% starch, 0.5% sugars (sucrose and sucrose), 2% proteins, about 1% mineral salts, trace elements: potassium - 426 mg/%, calcium - 8 mg/%, - 17 mg/%, phosphorus - 38 mg/%, - 0.9 mg/%; vitamins: thiamine - 0.01 mg/%, riboflavin - 0.07 mg/%, nicotinic acid - 0.67 mg/%, ascorbic acid - 7.5 mg/%. Amino acids are also found here: arginine, lysine, leucine, tyrosine, tryptophan, histidine, choline, acetylcholine, allantoin, xanthine, etc. Potato protein is called tuberin. It belongs to the group of globulins. All organs of the plant contain the steroidal alkaloid solanine. Most of all it is contained in the sprouts formed by the illumination of potatoes, flowers and peel.
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Pharmacological properties of potatoes

Fresh juice of potato tubers and starch obtained from potatoes are used as an enveloping anti-inflammatory agent in gastrointestinal diseases. Starch has a pronounced antiulcer effect, the basis of the mechanism of which is blocking the action of pepsin on the gastric mucosa.

The use of potatoes in medicine

Because potatoes are alkaline, they make a great addition to all vegetables, milk, and cheese.
Potatoes are introduced into the diet of kidney and heart patients: high content potassium determines it good properties, and hence the prevention of edema. Especially effective are red and pink varieties potatoes.
Potato juice helps to reduce the secretion of acid by the gastric glands, slightly "muffles" the pain, accelerates the scarring of ulcers on the mucous membrane of the digestive tract. In addition, it somewhat weakens, which is extremely important for gastritis and ulcer patients, usually suffering from. It relieves belching well and helps with various dyspeptic disorders.
Potato starch is used for chronic diseases gastrointestinal tract as an enveloping, emollient and anti-inflammatory agent.
Potato starch is also used as a base for powders and filler for powders and tablets.
AT folk medicine drink potato juice for .
Potato juice lowers the level, therefore it is useful in initial stage diabetes.
Raw potato juice is used in peptic ulcer stomach and duodenum. It inhibits the secretion of the stomach and has an anti-inflammatory effect.
Substances that have a positive effect on the human body with allergies, tachycardia, hypertension and painful shock have been found in the potato peel.

Potato medicines

Potato juice helps with headaches - because of the acetylcholine contained in it, which has a hypotensive effect. For a headache, dip both hands up to the elbow in hot water and hold them until the pain stops, adding hot water. Tie thin slices of raw potatoes to the forehead.
Potato juice, squeezed from tubers ripened in September-October, should be taken for 2-3 weeks 2-3 times a day, 100 ml each (with tolerance - up to 200 ml) for uterine myoma.
Fresh potato juice mixed with skimmed milk, sour cream is used to get rid of freckles and cracks from exposed parts of the skin.
Raw potato juice cleanses the entire body well. Mixed with carrot juice and celery juice, it helps a lot with digestive disorders, nervous disorders - for example, with sciatica and goiter. In these cases, daily consumption of 500 ml of carrot, cucumber, beet and potato juice very often gives a positive result for short term, provided that all meat and fish products are excluded
Juice, squeezed from fresh raw tubers, is taken 2-3 times a day for half a glass half an hour before meals for gastritis with high acidity, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer.
Raw potato tubers, crushed on a grater, are considered a good healing agent for burns, eczema and various other skin lesions. The pounded mass is simply applied to the affected areas of the skin.
With a potato medium size peel, cut into small pieces and slowly chew one by one.
Potato is effective tool cleansing the joints of toxins and is considered a good remedy with polyarthritis. To do this, within 3 days you need to eat 2-3 kg of potatoes, boiled with peel in plenty of water. Potatoes are mashed in broth and eaten with the peel. Do not take any other food during this time. To eat potatoes with skin, you need to cook it for a long time.
Mashed potatoes or gruel from raw potatoes relieve swelling, if applied to them 3 times a day in the form of compresses.
Steam from boiled unpeeled (in uniform) potatoes as inhalations treat diseases respiratory tract accompanied by cough, runny nose and headache.
To lengthen the session, i.e. not to let the pan cool down quickly, the patient throws some kind of cloth cover over his head, covering the pan as well. The effect of the treatment is quite high, because here both the volatile secretions of potatoes and the heat of water vapor act as therapeutic factors. It is important only after the inhalation session not to go out into the cold.
Warming up with potato steam is very useful for sciatica and sciatica.
Pour 1 liter of water with one medium-sized potato, one medium-sized onion and an apple, cook until the water is reduced by half. Drink 3 times a day for 1 tsp. with chronic cough.
Potatoes with a greenish thick layer are peeled, which are finely chopped. A crushed, fresh, mushy mass is applied as a compress to damaged ligaments, muscles, tendons.
Cut long potato sprouts into small slices of 0.5 cm and dry in a dark, well-ventilated area. Put 200 g of these sprouts in a glass mortar, pour 200 ml of 70% alcohol, close tightly, insist in a dark place for 8 days, periodically shaking the contents, strain, squeeze. Store in a dark cool place. For various oncological diseases, take 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals (drip tincture in 1/2 cup of warm water, starting with 1 drop, bring the intake to 25 drops and continue to take them in this amount).
Dry the potato flowers in the shade. Brew in 0.5 liters of boiling water 1 tbsp. l. flowers, insist in a thermos for 3-4 hours. Drink 1/2 cup 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals for various malignant neoplasms. The course of treatment - 4 liters of infusion.
A decoction of the flowers is used to reduce blood pressure and stimulation of respiration.

Contraindications

In the light, under the skin of tubers, glycoalkaloids accumulate, which can cause poisoning for humans and animals; during cooking, these compounds partially pass into water.
Potato berries containing solanine are also poisonous. This alkaloid is formed in leaves, young shoots, fruits and skins, especially during long-term storage. Children who have eaten potato berries experience severe poisoning, scratching in the throat, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and hand trembling. When providing first aid, it is necessary to wash the stomach, before the doctor arrives, give them sour or fresh milk or egg white.
It is impossible to prepare juice from tubers that have turned green and contain sprouted eyes - this is very dangerous.
In cases where livestock graze in potato fields and animals eat green leaves and fruits, they may experience vomiting, severe poisoning, convulsions, and disturbances in the functioning of the cardiac and respiratory systems.
Poisonous substances are formed only in this greenish surface part of the tuber, not penetrating into the depth at all. Therefore, you should not throw away green potatoes, it is enough to cut off only the green parts (they, as a rule, occupy a small fraction of the total mass).
The white shoots of potatoes are also poisonous, so when cooking potatoes “in their uniforms”, the shoots must be broken off.

A bit of history

There are about 200 wild and cultivated potato species, which grow mainly in South and Central America. There are two main cultural species: Indian (since ancient times grown in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia) and Chilean (homeland - Central Chile), which are widespread in countries with temperate climate. Potatoes began to be cultivated about 14 thousand years ago by the Indians of South America, and they were brought to Europe around 1565. Potatoes came to Russia thanks to Peter I, who sent a bag of tubers from Holland in 1698. As a result of the violent tsarist measures to introduce potato crops in 1834-1844, unrest among the peasants of the Vyatka and Vladimir provinces, the regions of the Urals, the Lower and Middle Volga regions took place.

Conspiracy faces

Potatoes are used to conspire faces. Take a knife and drive it around the face in a clockwise direction, saying: “Mug, mug, you are not pretty here. Aspen is waiting for you in the forest at the edge, mug, you will be very beautiful on the aspen, you will sing, have fun and burn. And leave the servant of God (name) alone. Amen. Amen. Amen". You can't touch your face with your hands!
Saying the last three words, baptize the face three times, then take two potatoes, grate them. The patient should put this mass on his leg or other sore spot, bandage it and go to bed.
If the plot is read in the morning or afternoon, the patient should change the bandage with potatoes at night.

Photos and illustrations

Today, potatoes occupy a significant niche in the diet in many parts of the world. Due to its nutritional value, relative cheapness and wide distribution, this vegetable is often called the "second bread". Despite the apparent simplicity, the structure of the potato is much more complex, and detailed consideration this issue will be useful for many agricultural producers and ordinary summer residents.

How potatoes conquered Europe and Russia?

Potatoes are native to Central and Latin America. Spanish discoverers began to import potatoes into Europe at the end of the 16th century. At first, European kings and nobility appreciated only the flowers of the plant, which they used as decorative ornament. Peasants zealously rejected this vegetable because they were ill-informed about the nutritional properties of the tubers themselves. Frequent poisoning with potato fruits and berries often led to the fact that, in a fit of anger, the peasants simply uprooted the plants and burned them in the fire. The pleasant aroma of baked tubers obviously made people taste them. So, gradually, the attitude of Europeans to a new vegetable has changed dramatically.

Potatoes appeared in Russia during the time of Peter I. The tsar, as a lover of everything European, brought a small batch of potatoes from Holland and ordered them to be handed over to the peasants for cultivation. The lack of necessary knowledge had bitter consequences, similar to those that had happened to peasants in Europe before. In addition, many clergy persuaded illiterate people about the inadmissibility of growing a foreign fruit and equated it with a sinful act.

plant structure

Potato belongs to the nightshade family. This is a perennial plant, however, for the purposes of agricultural production, potatoes are grown as an annual crop. The generally accepted method of reproduction is planting tubers, however, experts also use seeds for selective work. Biological features Potatoes, as crops, are in the specific formation of the root system, tubers and aerial parts of the plant.

root system

The root system of potatoes is of two types. A plant grown from seed has an embryonic taproot with large quantity small roots. Secondary roots are also laid at the base of the stem. A potato grown from a tuber has a fibrous root system consisting of sprout, stolon and stolon roots.

The usual depth of the potato root system is 25-40 cm, that is, the root mass is mainly located at the depth of the arable layer. In some cases, the roots can go to a depth of 80 cm or more. Late varieties have a more developed root system than early counterparts.

Interesting facts: you can increase the yield by deepening the arable layer, for example, up to 70 cm. Thus, the number of tubers will increase significantly.

In addition to the usual roots in the underground part of the plant, there are stolons - shoots growing from the mother tuber. In the process of development, stolons grow and young tubers begin to form on young shoots. Stolons are easy to distinguish from roots: they are lighter in color and thicker.

Tuber

Many people believe that the tuber is the fruit of the potato. In fact, the tuber is part of an underground stem or stolon, and to be more precise, the tuber is a modified shoot. The plant accumulates in it starch, sugar and other useful substances necessary for further development.

Potato tuber has a peculiar structure and appearance. On the smooth and dense surface of the tuber, there are always so-called "eyes", small black dots and scars.

The eyes are the buds from which the stems of the plant sprout. The structure of the eyes is quite interesting: near the main kidney in each of the eyes there are always several more additional kidneys that are activated in case of damage to the main one. Each tuber can have from 4 to 15 eyes. They are located on the upper half of the tuber.

The structure of the potato tuber also includes lentils - small points through which gas exchange occurs in the tubers. The formation of lentils occurs in parallel with the formation of the peel. If there is too much moisture in the soil or the soil is clogged, then loose white neoplasms appear on the lentils, helping to absorb air. An increase in the size of lentils is a bad signal, indicating that gas exchange is disturbed in the tuber or it is affected by the disease.

Scars, vaguely resembling eyebrows, are atrophied scaly leaves that appear at an early stage of tuber development. It is in the axils of these leaflets that buds later form.

The rind of the tubers themselves can be smooth, reticulated, or flaky, depending on the particular cultivar. The thickness of the periderm depends not only on the species, but also on weather and climatic conditions, soil quality and fertilizers. For example, the use of phosphorus-based fertilizers significantly thickens the peel, while potash fertilizers, on the contrary, make the periderm thin.

Stem

The stalk of a potato is formed from the bud of a tuber. Since there are always several buds, the stems also grow from 2-3 pieces or more, depending on the variety and size of the tuber itself. Several stems form a bush. In cross section, they have a faceted shape (3-4 faces), much less often the stem looks rounded. Often the bushes reach a height of 80-90 cm, however, such luxury plants often give a poor harvest, because all the power goes into the development of the bush. Usually, this happens when there is an overabundance of fertilizers in the soil.

Each stem has wing-like appendages along its entire length.

Leaves

Each variety of potato has its own characteristics, including the number, size and shape of the leaves. Experienced gardener easily determine the variety by the appearance of the green mass. The leaf of the potato is discontinuous-unpaired pinnately dissected. On the main rod, between paired lobes, smaller lobules are usually formed, and between them, in turn, there are even smaller lobules.

There are three degrees of dissection: weak, medium and strong. On a slightly dissected sheet, there is one pair of lobules, but there are no lobules at all. On a strongly dissected leaf there are more than 2 pairs of lobules and many lobules.

The structure of the leaves also differs in the way the lobes, lobules and lobules are placed. If they are superimposed on each other, creating the appearance of a continuous sheet, then this type is called dense. If the distance between the elements of the sheet is large enough, then we have a rare leaf type.

Flower

As you know, several centuries ago, a potato flower attached to clothes was considered a sign of belonging to the aristocracy.

Potato flowers have a rather complex structure. The inflorescence has the form of a complex curl and can be spreading or compact. Peduncle, pedicel and flower form an inflorescence. In addition to these components, in the inflorescence of some varieties of potatoes there are upper leaves.

The flower itself, the structure of which we are considering, consists of 5 sepals collected in a cup, 5 petals forming a corolla, 5 stamens and a pistil. The flower may have narrow, broadly awl-shaped and long leaf-shaped sepals.

The flower can be white, blue, purple or other colors. After flowering is completed, the fruit ripens - a green poisonous berry, reaching a diameter of 2 cm. The structure of the berry is quite simple: it is divided into two nests, each of which contains many small flattened seeds.

Despite the relatively low content useful substances in potatoes, this root crop occupies an important place in the diet of many peoples. The advantages of the vegetable are the relative ease of cultivation, decent yields, and, of course, excellent palatability potatoes.

Potato, or tuberous nightshade, is a perennial tuberous plant from the flowering department, the dicotyledonous class, the solanaceous order, the nightshade family, the nightshade genus.

The name "potato" (lat. Solanum tuberosum), under which today's layman knows this plant (vegetable), was proposed by Kaspar Baugin in 1596. The Italians, because of the outward resemblance of the fruiting bodies to potato tubers, began to call them "tartuffolli" or "tartofel". From this word, the German version of the name of the underground fruits "Kartoffel" was formed, which gave the Russian name.

Potatoes - description and appearance. The structure of plants and vegetables.

The number of stems per plant ranges from 4 to 8-10. Their height, depending on the variety of potatoes, may not exceed 30 cm or reach 1.5 meters. On erect fleshy stems of green (sometimes with a brown tint) color, peculiar ribs are clearly distinguished. Dark green potato leaves on short petioles rise in a spiral form from the base to the top.

From the part of the potato stem immersed in the ground to different sides shoots (stolons) diverge, the length of which can reach 0.5 m. Potato tubers are located at their ends, the thin outer shell of which is formed by cork tissue. On their surface there are depressions called eyes. They contain several buds, from which a new plant develops. The flowers of the plant, collected at the top of the stems, are usually white. However, there are varieties with pink, blue or purple flowers. Below you can see what a potato stalk looks like, as well as the detailed structure of a potato.

The above-ground fruit of the potato is a poisonous green berry shaped like a miniature tomato. As it matures, it acquires a whitish hue.

The appearance, weight, color of the top layer of the potato tuber and its pulp differ depending on the cultivar. The peel of the tuber can be colored in various shades of brown, yellow, pink or purple. Therefore, to the question of what color the potato is, it will not be possible to give a definite answer.

The flesh of a potato when cut is usually white, but there are varieties with a dark yellow, cream or even purple, blue and pink color.

The shape of potato tubers is round, oblong, spherical or abstract, with protrusions and irregularities, and the weight of individual specimens can reach 1 kg or more.

Potato varieties - photo and description.

Today, approximately 5,000 varieties of potatoes are known. Of these, 260 are recommended for breeding in large farms and for private use in Russia.

By practical application All varieties are divided into the following groups:

• "Feloks" - a variety of table potatoes with elongated tubers weighing up to 110 g. The flesh is colored in light yellow color, the skin is darker.

• "Red Scarlett" - a variety of potatoes with oval tubers weighing up to 85 g. One bush contains up to 23 potatoes with smooth red skin and yellow flesh.

• "Nevsky" - potatoes with oval-shaped tubers with pink eyes and weighing up to 130 g. Upper layer and white flesh.

• "Vitalot" - a variety of purple potatoes, has oblong-shaped tubers up to 10 cm long. It ripens late and has a low yield, so it is not grown commercially.

Technical varieties of potatoes- are used as raw materials in the industrial production of alcohol and starch. The starch content in tubers exceeds 18%. The most commonly grown varieties are:

• "Accent" - with large potatoes with a smooth yellow surface and light creamy flesh.

• "Alpinist" - medium-sized potatoes. The peel of yellow color is covered with a fine mesh with numerous small eyes. Tuber on the cut cream color.

• "Vytok" - under one bush there can be up to 10 potatoes weighing about 135 g. The surface of the yellow peel is covered with a rare mesh. The flesh is cream colored.

Forage varieties of potatoes are used as feed for livestock. characteristic feature fodder potatoes is an increased content of proteins, reaching 3%. Among them are the following varieties:

• "Woltman" is a fodder potato variety that has red tubers with numerous bright eyes and white flesh. They have an irregular shape.

• "Lorch" - oblong tubers covered with a smooth beige skin, have white flesh with a protein content of up to 2.2% and vitamin C up to 18%. Numerous shallow eyes are located over the entire surface of the tuber.

Universal varieties of potatoes occupy an intermediate position between table varieties and potatoes intended for technical use.

• "Berlichingen" - a variety of potatoes with red oval tubers. The peel is strong and thick with superficial eyes. The flesh is white and darkens when cooked.

• "Arosa" - a variety with oval reddish tubers and yellow flesh. Spreading stems with red-violet corollas.

• "Sante" - has oval-shaped tubers with skin and flesh of light yellow color.

• "Lasunok" - its medium-sized oval-shaped tubers with a mesh peel of light yellow color and creamy flesh.

Potato maturity.

There is a classification of potatoes according to the timing of its ripening:

• Early varieties of potatoes. The maturity of early potatoes occurs after 50-60 days, so it is practically not intended for long-term storage. The following varieties are popular:
  • Minerva;
  • Ariel;
  • Felox;
  • Red Scarlett and others.
• Medium early potato varieties. For getting good harvest medium early potatoes planting material germinated in advance. The duration of the ripening period of this species is up to 80 days. The most popular varieties are:
  • Carat;
  • Santa;
  • Adretta, etc.
• Mid-season potato varieties. The duration of the growing season of mid-ripening potatoes reaches 100 days. The following varieties are in great demand:
  • Nevsky;
  • Altair;
  • Betina;
  • Rosinka and others.
• Middle late and late varieties potatoes. The ripening period is from 100 to 120 days. It is designed for long term storage. It is possible to plant such planting material without preliminary germination. Good results are obtained by planting such popular varieties as:
  • Bernadette;
  • Berlinger;
  • Folva;
  • Accent;
  • Slavyanka, etc.