The potato is originally derived from the Andes of South America where Native Americans were cultivating potatoes and other tubers by 10,000 years ago (8,000 b.c.) in the high Andean mountains of Bolivia.
The potato was important as a high altitude crop that could be freeze dried into a product called chuño, which looks like a dried prune. There were about 7 cultivated species with virtually thousands of varieties in color, size, taste, and shape. The people of the Andes (often referred to as Quechua) grew maize, beans, and squash in lower altitudes, but developed a variety of plants that could grow in a high altitude plateau known as the puna. Most of these high altitude plants were developed with characteristics to resist the extreme cold of altitudes between 5,000 to as high as 14,000' above sea level. The peanut and potato are two familiar examples, but there were many more that are just becoming well known . Many of these native cultigens are roots or rhizomes that are protected under ground , since nighttime temperatures can drop as much as 40-50 degrees F. Here are a few of those tubers that are beginning to attract attention due to their frost resistance, but also due to their resistance to disease.
Common Name |
Scientific Name |
Description |
| Potato, Papa | Solanum tuberosum | 7 cultivated species |
| Oca, Cavi | Oxalis tuberosa | clover-like with wrinkled,multi-colored tubers |
| Arracacha, Apio | Arracacia xanthorrhiza | carrot-like tuber |
| Maca | Lepidium meyenii | mustard family;turnip-like tuber, grows up to 14,000' |
| Ajipa | Pachyrrhizus ahipa | climbing vine/legume;large10 lb. root related to jicama |
| Yacon,Aricoma | Polymnia sonchifolia | sunflower relative;tubers in bunches,also like jicama |
| Ulluco,Papa Lisa | Ullucos tuberosus | multi-colored/shiny tubers;look like plastic;highly resis.to temp. |
| Achira,Queensland arrowroot | Canna edulis | lily with edible rhizomes |
| Mashua | Tropaeolum tuberosum | nasturtium relative;frost tolerant, over 100 varieties |
There were other tubers from America, but they tended to be grown in the lowlands of Brazil or the Caribbean and did spread to other tropical climates. They include the following:
| Cassava,Manioc,Yuca | Manihot esculenta | sweet/bitter forms;high starch, but very low in protein |
| Sweet potato, Batata | Ipomoea batatas | looks like a yam,but different |
| Yampee, Indian Yam | Dioscorea trifida | only Am. yam;other yams originate in SE Asia |
| Arrowroot,Eredu | Maranta arundinacea | rich,starchy rhizome |
| Coco-yam,Yautia | Xanthsoma sagittifolium | Araceae family |
| Topee Tambu, Allulia | Calathea allouia | sm. hard tubers like water chestnut |
As one can seen the potato is but one of many tuber-like crops that came from America. It was by chance that the potato was used as a cheap food for sailors returning from America. Once the potato got to Europe, its ability to grow in poor soils, resistance to cold, and ease of management gave it an edge for temperate European environments with overtaxed soils. It is too bad that Europeans didn't investigate Peruvian agronomy more since there were disease resistant forms of the potato. The Europeans used only about three varieties of potato, but they were enough to provide food energy for thousands of poor workers that would in turn provided a base to the industrialization of Western Europe with the British Isles, Holland, France, Belgium, Germany, Poland, and Russia benefiting the most. Everyone tends to think of Ireland and the potato the most for deterring outright starvation; unfortunately this eventually leds to disaster with sole dependency on potatoes forcing a generation of Irish to migrate to Australia, Africa, and America. In spite of earlier disasters, the potato continues to be one of the major sources of food calories in the world.
Copyright © S.J. Crouthamel