**Breeding Potato for Quality Improvement**

**Breeding Potato for Quality Improvement**

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.71482

Meenakshi Kumari, Manoj Kumar and Shashank Shekhar Solankey Shashank Shekhar Solankey Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

Meenakshi Kumari, Manoj Kumar and

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.71482

#### **Abstract**

Potato is the most important non-cereal food crop in the world, that in general represent a non-fattening, nutritious and wholesome food, which supply important nutrients to the human diet. The potato tubers contain considerable amounts of carbohydrates, vitamin C, essential amino acids and minerals. The potato quality includes biological traits (e.g. proteins, carbohydrates and minerals); sensorial traits (e.g. flavor, texture); and industrial traits (e.g. tuber shape, cold sweetening and starch quality). These traits are deemed very important for fresh consumption, where they are most likely to influence consumer's choice worldwide. Since most quality traits are genetically controlled, breeding work can successfully meet the quality of potato tubers and fulfills the needs of a changing and demanding world. Breeding potato for quality traits requires a continuous flow of new genes and allelic diversity into the *Solanum tuberosum* gene pool. However, recent advances in conventional and non-conventional breeding methods have significantly improved the possibilities of producing novel genetic variability for selection of new genotypes, especially when biotechnologists and plant breeders pool the existing resources. The genetics, biochemical and physiology of several quality traits is to be given equal importance that ultimately makes breeding efforts less empirical and more predictable.

**Keywords:** *Solanum tuberosum*, quality traits, genotypes, gene, inheritance, conventional breeding, non-conventional breeding

#### **1. Introduction**

Potato (*Solanum tuberosum*) is one of the most important tuber crops, is used worldwide for human and animal consumption, and as raw material for starch and alcohol production. It is also one of the world's major staple crops, which produces more dry matter and protein per hectare than the major cereal crops [1]. Potato is mainly grown in Uttar Pradesh, West

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© 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons

Bengal, Punjab, Bihar, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. Total potato production is about 320 million tonnes (Mt) globally, of which about 66% is used as food, 12% as feed and 10% as seed [2]. At the highlands of Ethiopia, the potato holds great promise for improving the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers. The potential for high yield, early maturity and excellent food value give the potato great potential for improving food security, increasing household income and reducing poverty [3]. Potato is grown in India in almost all the states except Kerala. It is possible to see the crop in field round the year in one part of the country or the other. About 82% of the area under potato crop lies in the plains where the crop is grown during short-days of winters from October to March. About 10% lies in the hills where the crop is grown during long-days of summer from April to September in tropical and sub-tropical parts of the world.

(*S. tuberosum* subsp. *andigena*, *Solanum phureja* and *Solanum stenotomum*) and wild diploid species (*Solanum sparsipilum*, *Solanum berthaultii*, *Solanum spegazzinii* and others). For transgression of genes for improvement of quality traits as well as resistance to pathogens and insect pests in potato cultivars, wild species have been found useful. Potato tubers develop from the stolons formed from the lower basal nodes below the soil surface. The potato tuber is a modified stem

Potato production is important due to many reasons but one of the most important aspects of potato production is tuber quality, that includes biological (e.g. proteins, carbohydrates and minerals) and sensorial traits (e.g. flavor, texture) and industrial traits (e.g. tuber shape, cold sweetening and starch quality). The potato is rich source of carbohydrate and has considerable amounts of protein, with a good quality of amino acid balance, vitamins C, vitamin B (B<sup>1</sup>

folate, minerals (potassium, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium) and in micronutrients (iron and zinc). Dietary fiber found high in the tubers, and potato skin contained higher amount of dietary fibers than flesh. Potato tubers are also rich in antioxidants comprising polyphenols, vitamin C, carotenoids and tocopherols. Freshly harvested potatoes are virtually free of fat and cholesterol as compared to stored potatoes [1, 10]. The nutrient-rich potato can contribute to improved diets, thus reducing mortality rates caused by malnutrition. It can improve food security and health, especially among women and children. To improve the livelihoods and

Potato is an auto-tetraploid species (2n = 4× = 48) which was first introduced into Europe, and spreads as a botanical novelty and as fodder crop for livestock. Initially people treated the potato as suspicion relative of the toxic nightshade (*S. nigrum*).Eventually potato was adopted as a human food source and gradually gained popularity and then it introduced to the rest of the world, from the Andes of South America in the late sixteenth century. By the end of the eighteenth century, it was found that it is well adopted under long-day photoperiod then further selection of early tuberization cultivars and high-yielding clones were done from the derived seedlings from naturally occurring berries, the consequence of uncontrolled, largely self-pollination. Potato is an Andean tuber crop that was originally domesticated in South America and started its worldwide dissemination after Columbus voyages brought to Europe in the late sixteenth century some years after the discovery and conquest of Peru. It is believed that cultivated potato originated from its wild ancestors near the lake *Tritica* basin in Peru Bolivian region in high mountains. This plant was selected as article of food by the oldest civilizations of Mayas and Incas. There are strong evidences that potato was widely distributed throughout the Andes, from Colombia to Peru and also in southern Chile. Potatoes are said to have been taken to India and to China by British missionaries in the late seventeenth century

Potato was originated from the wild species *Solanum leptophyes* some 10,000–7000 years ago, and the first domesticated species was *Solanum stenotomum.* The evolution of *Solanum stenotomum* was only the beginning of potato evolution. In addition to first wild species *S. leptophyes*

food security of poor farmers, it is very essential to increases in potato yields.

and were known in Japan and parts of Africa by about the same period.

**2. Origin of potato**

 & B6 ), 39

Breeding Potato for Quality Improvement http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.71482

with a few 'eyes' that are leaf scars with a subtended lateral bud.

Cultivated potato and its wild relatives belong to the genus *Solanum*, the largest genus with 1500–2000 species [4]. Within the genus *Solanum*, over a 1000 of species have been recognized [5]. The genus *Solanum* comprises 8 cultivated species and 2000 wild relatives out of which 235 *Solanum* species tuberize.

The tuber-bearing *Solanum* species are grouped in the *Petota* section. This section is divided into two sub-sections, *Potatoe* and *Estolonifera* [6]. The sub-section *Potatoe* contains all tuberbearing potato species, including common potato (*S. tuberosum*, belonging to series *Tuberosa*). Two non-tuber bearing series (*Etuberosa* and *Juglandifolia*) are placed in sub-section *Estolonifera*. However, a number of molecular studies suggest that the series *Etuberosa* and *Juglandifolia* do not belongs to the *Petota* section [7, 8].

The cultivated potato (*S. tuberosum*) is divided into two sub-species: *tuberosum* and *andigena*. The sub-species *tuberosum* (**Table 1**) is the cultivated potato originated from Peru and widely in use as a crop plant in, for example, Asia, North America and Europe. The sub-species *andigena* is also a cultivated species, originated from Andean mountain (South America) and cultivation is restricted to Central and South America [6, 9]. The subsp. *andigena* forms tubers under short day conditions at high altitudes (>2000 msl.) while in the subsp. *tubersoum,* tuber formation is under long days in temperature climate and short days in the tropics at lower altitudes (500–2000). The cultivated potato (*S. tuberosum* subsp. *tuberosum*) is crossable with other cultivated species


**Table 1.** Taxonomic position of *S. tuberosum* subsp. *tuberosum*.

(*S. tuberosum* subsp. *andigena*, *Solanum phureja* and *Solanum stenotomum*) and wild diploid species (*Solanum sparsipilum*, *Solanum berthaultii*, *Solanum spegazzinii* and others). For transgression of genes for improvement of quality traits as well as resistance to pathogens and insect pests in potato cultivars, wild species have been found useful. Potato tubers develop from the stolons formed from the lower basal nodes below the soil surface. The potato tuber is a modified stem with a few 'eyes' that are leaf scars with a subtended lateral bud.

Potato production is important due to many reasons but one of the most important aspects of potato production is tuber quality, that includes biological (e.g. proteins, carbohydrates and minerals) and sensorial traits (e.g. flavor, texture) and industrial traits (e.g. tuber shape, cold sweetening and starch quality). The potato is rich source of carbohydrate and has considerable amounts of protein, with a good quality of amino acid balance, vitamins C, vitamin B (B<sup>1</sup> & B6 ), folate, minerals (potassium, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium) and in micronutrients (iron and zinc). Dietary fiber found high in the tubers, and potato skin contained higher amount of dietary fibers than flesh. Potato tubers are also rich in antioxidants comprising polyphenols, vitamin C, carotenoids and tocopherols. Freshly harvested potatoes are virtually free of fat and cholesterol as compared to stored potatoes [1, 10]. The nutrient-rich potato can contribute to improved diets, thus reducing mortality rates caused by malnutrition. It can improve food security and health, especially among women and children. To improve the livelihoods and food security of poor farmers, it is very essential to increases in potato yields.
