Studies on the Phenomenon of Cold-Induced Sweetening in Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Tubers

Abstract

1.1 IMPORTANCE OF POTATO The potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a major world food crop. Potato ranks fourth in terms of total global food production. It comes after only wheat, rice, and maize (Ross, 1986). Potato tubers give an exceptionally high yield per acre, many times that of any grain crop (Burton 1969) and are used in a wide variety of table, processed, livestock feed, and industrial uses (Feustel, 1987; Talburt, 1987). 1.2 TAXONOMY OF POTATO Potato belongs to the Solanaceae family, which encompasses about 90 genera and 2,800 species. Solanaceous plants can be found throughout the world, though most species dwell in tropical regions of Central and South America. The genus Solanum, has about 2,000 species and includes all tuber-bearing wild species as well as Solanum tuberosum, the species to which all common potato cultivars belong.