Potato Solanum tuberosum is a plant that belongs to the nightshade family, such as tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. The popularity of this vegetable (as well as the agricultural plant) is due to the fact that it is tasty and nutritious. On its basis you can additionally produce the drinks we like.
The potato comes from South America, where it was allegedly cultivated by the Incas about 3500 years ago. It came to Europe relatively recently, only in the 16th century.
Boiled potatoes are relatively low in calories- 100 g provides 86 kcal. Almost 78% of the tuber is water, the other ingredients are mainly carbohydrates, approx.20%, and nearly 2% of protein. Potato preserves are much more caloric. French fries and crisps, through the production process, contain a significant amount of fat, which increases the caloric value of the meal, so we should eat them in moderation. Unfortunately, both boiled and baked potatoes have a high glycemic index of 85-95. The content of mineral s alts determines the alkaline reaction, which contributes to the neutralization of acids formed after eating meat or bread. After thermal treatment, the amount of vitamin C is small, at the level of a few mg / 100g of the product, while in the raw it amounts to an average of 20-30 mg.
Potato tubers, depending on the variety, may differ in both the color of the skin and the flesh. The skin can be white, pink, red or purple, and the flesh is white, yellow or yellow-white. Green discoloration on tubers is caused by exposure to light, which is undesirable. It accumulates solanine, which is a poisonous alkaloid found in all above-ground parts of the plant.Its greatest amounts are found in potato fruits, which are therefore unfit for consumption.
Cultivated potatoes are propagated vegetatively,by tubers. Propagation from seeds is used only in breeding work, because potatoes grown from seeds often do not repeat the parental characteristics.
This plant is not very demanding. The soil for cultivation should be carefully tilled, quite airy, with a good structure. It responds well to autumn fertilization with manure, which should be properly distributed. Nitrogen fertilizers are applied in the spring, just before planting the tubers. Sprouted tubers are used for the earliest crops. The planting date should be adapted to the thermal conditions, ie when the temperature of the soil and air is at least 8ºC. The optimum temperature for setting and growing tubers is 20ºC during the day and 14ºC at night. Sprouting tubers should start 3-5 weeks before the planned planting date.It consists in placing the tubers in boxes in a room with access to light for 10-12 hours a day, at a temperature of 12-15 ° C.
Tubers that have sprouts, about 1 cm long, relatively thick and firmly set, are suitable for planting. A planting of 10 m² requires approximately 2.5 kg of medium-sized tubers weighing approximately 70 g. They are planted at a distance of 60 cm between the rows, and every 20-40 cm in rows. In the case of early cultivation, planting should be carried out in the first half of April - then we can enjoy the taste of our own potatoes in mid-June.
