Potato Background

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History of Potato
Potato is one of the most nutritious and commonly edible foods in our society today. But there is a fascinating story of how Potato came to be widely consumed today around the world today. Potato also known as Solanum Tuberosum for its scientific identification was a wild plant. It was first domesticated in 10,000 BCE around the Lake Titicaca basin in the Andes region by the farmers. This region was not the best for agriculture because of the terrain but Potato rose to the occasion to become the most dominant food. Potteries of the Andean civilization depicted Potato as the chief crop. This region is in present day Southern Peru and Northwest Bolivia. The warm summer days enhanced the growth of plants and cold nights improved the growth of tubers; hence Potato was able to survive in this region. The farmers with their trial and error method figured that Potato can be bred through its seed. The seed of a Potato produce different fruits with varying sizes and color. The most significant of the domesticated Potato by the Andes farmers was the Solanum Tuberosum Andigena. This Potato had large tubers, well rounded and can grow only near the equator. Pre-Columbian population grew over 200 different types of Potato, making this plant few of the widely domesticated foods worldwide. The planting of Potato occurred at different elevations which enabled Andean farmers to plant and harvest it all through the year. Indigenous people of South America preserved Potato and stored it in case of a famine. The cold dry climate of the Andes region made this long-time preservation possible. The process involved covering of already harvested Potatoes from mist and leaving them in the cold night. The next day with sunshine on the Pota...

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...f the world has been against genetically modified Potatoes and foods in general. This resulted in it being dropped by the major fast food chains like McDonalds and Burger King.
In conclusion, the world population is expected to grow by 100 million every year. Above ninety five percent of this population growth will come from the developing countries. This would put pressure on available resources for survival especially food in this regions. Potato production and consumption has increased in developing countries more than any other crop in the last fifty years. It is one of the most vital commodities in the world. It is grown commercially in 130 countries and about 320 million tons produced annually. It has since become a staple food for more than one billion of the world population. Potato will most likely play an increasing role in the world’s future food supply.

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