This was the first disease known with certainty to be caused by a microorganism. Antoine De Bary described the nature and life history of the causal fungus, and proved that the disease was indeed caused by a living organism, and not by spontaneous generation. Because the epidemic also affected other European countries, there was widespread interest in being able to predict when the disease might attack. As a consequence, the first models describing plant and pathogen growth were constructed for this disease. Photo courtesy of Dole Corporation Potatoes are grown commercially in all 50 States, with Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Maine, Wisconsin, California, and North Dakota as the leading producers.
Potatoes yield more calories per acre than any other food.
Most potatoes grown are one of the white russet varieties but there is increasing interest in specialty potatoes - those with different colors of skin or flesh. With increased consumer demand, U.S. potato breeders have begun to release some excellent yellow-fleshed varieties and there are now varieties with pink or purple flesh and skin colors ranging from blue to buff to red. The potato contains enough vitamin C to prevent scurvy, as sailors learned soon after the discovery of America. Potatoes are usually used for human food, but are also used as feed, starch for sizing textiles, alcohol production, and in the manufacture of synthetic rubber. A mealy texture is associated with high solids, a waxy texture with low solids.