Description More than 6,000 years ago in the high Andes of South America, people first domesticated the potato. In the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors brought the potato from Peru to Europe, but it wasn t until two centuries later that potatoes were introduced into the European diet. Today, potato is the fourth most important crop in developing countries after rice, wheat, and maize. More than 3 billion people consume potatoes. The main climatic constraint limiting area expansion for the potato is heat.
Potatoes respond positively to cooler temperatures.
The main biotic constraints for potato are late blight, bacterial wilt disease, viruses, and potato tuber moth. Potato s susceptibility to these pests and diseases makes the crop the number two user of agricultural pesticides worldwide, following cotton. The potato has responded well to research, and plant breeding continues to result in significant improvements in the crop, especially for developing countries. Virology research in the potato has advanced greatly, and the safe movement of germplasm is now practical. Still, the adoption of improved potato varieties is often delayed by the absence of local seed or multiplication systems.