All people constantly eat potatoes in one form or another. However, not everyone knows who brought the potatoes to Russia. This well-known product, the history of its appearance, taste and characteristics will be described in detail in this essay.
Description and origin of the name
Tuberous nightshade, aka potato, is a type of perennial tuberous herbaceous plant belonging to the nightshade family. Potato tubers are one of the most important foods.
The scientific name is "Solanum tuberosum" (Solánum tuberósum) and was first found by the Swiss scientist, botanist and anatomist Caspar Boen (Baugin) in his work "Plant Species" in 1596. After more than half a century, the Swedish scientist Karl Linney used this name in his scientific work on plants.
The Russian name "potato" comes from the German kartoffel, and it, in turn, comes from the Italian name tarufolo, tarufo, which means "truffle".
Botanical characteristic
This is a herbaceous plant, which, growing, reaches a height of more than one meter. The stem is naked and ribbed. The part of the stem submerged in the soil produces not very long shoots reaching a length of 15 to 20 cm. However, there are potato varieties whose shoots reach a length of 40 to 50 cm.
The stem and leaves of the potato are dark green in color. The leaves themselves are intermittent, cirrus-dissected and consist of a finite lobe, several pairs of lateral lobes and intermediate lobes between them. Upon completion of the growth of the bush, the leaves grow medium size.
Potato inflorescences are pink, purple and white. They are collected in the form of a shield on the tops of the stems. Corolla and calyx five-separated.
Fruit development
In the underground part of the plant, stolons (underground shoots) grow from the sinuses of the rudimentary leaf. They, gradually thickening, give rise to the growth of tubers. The modified root of the potato is, in fact, the future tuber (fruit). The outer part of the tubers starting their growth consists of a thin layer of cork tissue. The inner part is made of faceted cells with thin walls and a high content of starch.
In potatoes, at the initial stage, it is the faceted cells that are responsible for the content of all useful substances, including the effect on the taste of the fetus. Potato crops are usually harvested from August to September, although later varieties exist.
Biological features of potatoes
Potato propagates vegetatively. Parts or small tubers, and for breeding - seeds that appear in the fruits of inflorescences. They are planted to a shallow depth - from 5 to 10 cm.
Germination of buds (tubers) in the soil begins at a temperature of 5 to 8 ° C, although 15-21 ° C is considered the optimum temperature. For the growth of leaves and stems, photosynthesis and flowering, the best temperature is from 16 to 22 ° C. Compliance with these regimes directly affects the characteristics of the potato, as well as its taste.
For the development of the whole plant as a whole (ground and underground parts), a large amount of nutrients is needed. It consumes a significant amount of potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen, which must be added to the soil. Black soil, gray forest, sod-podzolic and drained peat bogs are best suited for potato roots and plant development.
Appearance in Russia
When answering the question of who brought the potatoes to Russia, Peter I is immediately remembered. According to legend, the Russian emperor, being in Holland at the end of the 17th century, sent a bag of potatoes to the capital. According to one version, he ordered it to be sent to the provinces to begin cultivation.
In 1758, the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences published an article entitled “On the cultivation of earth apples,” which became the first scientific article on the cultivation of potatoes in Russia. Later, other articles on this topic are published. However, mass distribution of potatoes in Russia in the 17th century did not occur.
Cultural and religious reasons, as well as frequent poisoning with the “devil's apple”, influenced this to a small extent. Because of this, the majority of the peasant population of the country for a long time did not take potatoes seriously.
However, thanks to Count P. Kiselev, from 1840 to 1842, areas for potatoes were allocated, which quickly began to increase. Over time, the governors kept a report to the government for the cultivation and its volumes.
By the end of the 19th century, crops already occupied more than 1.5 million hectares, and at the beginning of the 20th century, the fruits of potatoes began to be considered “second bread,” that is, they became one of the main food products. Currently, the usefulness and taste are appreciated by people and potatoes are eaten in various forms.
Potato varieties and taste
To date, about five thousand varieties are known. They are distinguished by a number of characteristics:
- productivity;
- ripening dates;
- disease resistance.
As of 2017, 426 potato varieties are allowed in the state register of breeding achievements of Russia as of 2017. For widespread use, there are four main groups of varieties:
- dining rooms;
- feed;
- technical;
- universal.
The most common table varieties are subject to fairly high requirements. Potatoes should have a soft pulp, not darken and contain from 12 to 16% starch, and also be sufficiently saturated with vitamin C. Most often, tubers of these varieties have a round or oval shape and eyes located on the surface.
Potatoes of technical varieties differ from canteens in that it has a high starch content, over 19%, not so high requirements for form and other characteristics. In fodder potatoes, in comparison with other groups, the increased content of protein and other substances is up to 2-3%.
Universal varieties, as the name implies, occupy an intermediate place between technical and canteens. The protein and starch content in universal varieties is average.
Common varieties
The most common and popular varieties of potatoes include the following:
- Adretta.
- Bereginya.
- The Knight.
- Goldika.
- Drevlyanka.
- Zhytomyr.
- Call.
- Colette.
- Lugovskoy.
- Forget-me-not.
- Rosalind.
- Blue eye.
- Polessky pink.
- Ukrainian pink.
- Felsin.
Each of these varieties has its own characteristics and advantages - both taste and shelf life. When answering the question of how much potatoes are stored, it is necessary to take into account storage temperature and humidity. With average performance, potatoes of any kind can be stored for 6 to 7 months. In this case, the temperature should not change, otherwise the shelf life is reduced.
Ripening time
Potatoes have different ripening periods, depending on the variety. Variety classification is as follows:
- superearly - from 34 to 36 days;
- early - from 40 to 50 days;
- medium early - from 50 to 65 days;
- mid-season - from 65 to 80 days;
- medium late - from 80 to 100 days.
The ripening period of potato tubers is + 15-20 days to the above indicators. Productivity reaches its maximum at the end of the growing season. However, even with the shortest growing time, potatoes produce an average of about half the maximum possible yield. Due to these characteristics, potatoes are suitable for cultivation even in the Far East and in the northern regions of Russia, where, as you know, the growing season reaches less than 60 days a year.
Popular and expensive varieties
In Russia, one of the most common and popular varieties is Hannibal. This is the scientific name of the most ordinary Sineglazka. This variety got its scientific name in honor of Abram Petrovich Hannibal, great-grandfather of A.S. Pushkin. According to some researchers, it was he who conducted the selection of this variety of potatoes, and also set experiments with preserving the crop. However, this version does not find evidence in scientific circles.
One of the most expensive varieties of potatoes is called La Bonnotte. This potato is grown on the island of Noirmoutier, located off the Atlantic French coast. Local breeders managed to develop exceptionally tender tubers, which are collected only by hand. The annual crop is not more than 100 tons per year. Due to its unusual taste and tenderness, as well as a small crop, this variety is appreciated quite high. Only affluent gourmets can afford it, since 1 kg of this potato costs about 500 euros.
How to distinguish fodder potatoes from table potatoes?
Fodder potatoes are actively used in animal husbandry. It is fed to cattle, pigs and sheep. It perfectly replaces cereal and grass feed thanks to the useful substances in its composition. In addition to the potato itself, potato tops are also used.
However, the question arises, how do fodder and table varieties differ? In fact, in addition to the sizes, the distinctive features of these varieties of potatoes do not exist. Mostly fodder potatoes differ from the table by its large size, in other words, it can be distinguished visually.
There is a significant difference in taste, as feed varieties will be more watery and not as tasty as canteens. However, many do not even suspect that there are such divisions into groups in potatoes. People simply attribute the water content and not very saturated taste to a bad crop or poor quality. In reality, this is ordinary fodder potatoes.
Potato pests
The stem and leaves of a potato are susceptible to various diseases, as well as attack by insects. The worst enemy of potatoes is the Colorado potato beetle. It belongs to the family of leaf beetles. The bug is dangerous because it and its larvae eat leaves of any nightshade crops, for example tomato, eggplant and, naturally, potatoes. If you do not deal with the Colorado potato beetle in a timely manner, then you can lose absolutely the entire crop, since this insect is extremely gluttonous.
Another equally dangerous enemy of potatoes is the nutcracker beetles. They belong to the order of beetles and represent a danger to potatoes primarily by their larvae, which are called wireworms. They damage stems and potato tubers by gnawing holes and labyrinths in them. Potato, which was attacked by a wireworm, lags behind in development and growth, and also brings less crop. Moreover, the resulting crop is of rather poor quality and is most often damaged by rot. It appears as a result of bacteria and fungi getting through holes made by wireworms.
Diseases
Potatoes, like any other vegetable crop, besides insect pests are susceptible to attacks of various kinds of diseases. Late blight is considered one of the most dangerous diseases for plants in the nightshade family. To understand how serious this disease is, it is worth saying that annual losses amount to approximately 4 million tons of nightshade crops.
One of the main reasons for the destruction of potatoes is the various types of scab, as well as the defeat of viruses. Potato infection occurs due to mechanical damage, such as during planting, harvesting or caring for a plant. If the potato is infected by the virus, then the infection gradually destroys both the plant itself and the tubers.
Taste qualities
Continuing to consider the characteristics of potatoes, it should be said about its taste. They are as important an indicator of a variety as, for example, its yield. When choosing a potato variety for planting, the taste factor is most often decisive.
What determines the taste of potatoes? In fact, this is one of the most difficult issues in potato growing. This includes two concepts - this is individual taste perception and high taste.
The taste of potatoes directly depends on such indicators as the chemical composition, which, in turn, determines the nutritional value and usefulness for the human body as a whole. The content of protein, starch, amino acids, macro- and microelements, as well as vitamins in the end, and forms the taste of potatoes.
The perception of taste is a rather subjective thing, as it is dictated by the sensations of a person or the traditions of national cuisine. These indicators may or may not coincide. In this regard, it is difficult to say which kind of potato is tastier. So, for example, someone likes loose potatoes, and the other way around. Some prefer thin-skinned potatoes, while others do not. Also, it is impossible to identify the best taste in the color of tubers. Pink, bluish, yellow - these are just colors, and until now, scientists have not given an affirmative answer whether the color of a tuber affects its taste. So taste is more a personal preference than a characteristic indicator of a variety.
Productivity
A variety of factors affect the potato yield, which is described in the article. This includes weather and climate conditions, and the quality of the soil, and methods of processing it, and the quality of planting material, the health status of tubers during growth, disease prevention and much more.
One of the main criteria for planting potatoes is the choice of high-quality planting material. It is he and, of course, compliance with other requirements that allow you to harvest a good crop.
In our country, as of 2015, the maximum potato harvest per hectare was recorded. If the world leaders in growing potatoes are India and China, then Russia is the leader in terms of yield per hectare. It is possible to do this thanks to the unique breeding school and the works of scientists.
An interesting fact is that when growing the same potato variety in different countries, the yield per hectare will be different. As mentioned earlier, a huge number of factors influence this.
In conclusion, it should be noted that potatoes have another use besides eating in different species. Schools and kindergartens often create potato crafts. This is such a versatile product that does not require the possession of special skills, but only needs imagination. Due to the simplicity of processing and the versatility of potatoes, you can create a wide variety of crafts from potatoes - animals, fish, and much more. Children are often delighted with such an activity.