American Journal of Potato Research 

About: American Journal of Potato Research is an academic journal published by Springer Science+Business Media. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Population & Blight. It has an ISSN identifier of 1099-209X. Over the lifetime, 4612 publications have been published receiving 68720 citations. The journal is also known as: Potato research.

Colorado Potato Beetle Resistance to Insecticides

Abstract: The Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), is widely regarded as the most important insect defoliator of potatoes. Its current range covers about 16 million km2 in North America, Europe, and Asia and continues to expand. This insect has a complicated and diverse life history, which is well-suited to agricultural environments, and makes it a complex and challenging pest to control. Dispersal, closely connected with diapause, feeding, and reproduction, allow the Colorado potato beetle to employ “bet-hedging” reproductive strategies, distributing its offspring in both space (within and between fields) and time (within and between years). The Colorado potato beetle played a large role in creating the modern pesticide industry, with hundreds of chemicals tested against it. High selection pressure, together with natural propensity to adapt to toxic substances, eventually resulted in a large number of insecticide-resistant Colorado potato beetle populations. Since the middle of the last century, the beetle has developed resistance to 52 different compounds belonging to all major insecticide classes. Resistance levels vary greatly among different populations and between beetle life stages, but in some cases can be very high (up to 2,000-fold). Known mechanisms of Colorado potato beetle resistance to insecticides include enhanced metabolism involving esterases, carboxylesterases and monooxygenases, and target site insensitivity, as well as reduced insecticide penetration and increased excretion. There is also some evidence of behavioral resistance. Resistance mechanisms are sometimes highly diverse even within a relatively narrow geographical area. Resistance is usually inherited as an incompletely dominant or incompletely recessive trait, with one or several genes involved in its determination. Because of pleiotropic effects of resistant alleles, insecticide-resistant beetles often have reduced relative fitness in the absence of insecticides. Rotating different classes of insecticides and reducing insecticidal pressure on pest populations by provision of temporal and spatial refuges from exposure to toxins have been proposed to delay evolution of resistance. However, insecticide resistance in this insect will likely remain a major challenge to the pest control practitioners. Still limited understanding of beetle biology, its flexible life history, and grower reluctance to adopt some of the resistance management techniques create impediments to successful resistance management. Overcoming these obstacles is not an easy task, but it will be crucial for sustainable potato production.

The effect of climate change on global potato production

Abstract: The effect of climate change on global potato production was assessed. Potential yields were calculated with a simulation model and a grid with monthly climate data for current (1961–1990) and projected (2010–2039 and 2040–2069) conditions. The results were mapped and summarized for countries. Between 1961–1990 and 2040–2069 the global (terrestrial excluding Antarctica) average temperature is predicted to increase between 2.1 and 3.2 C, depending on the climate scenario. The temperature increase is smaller when changes are weighted by the potato area and particularly when adaptation of planting time and cultivars is considered (a predicted temperature increase between 1 and 1.4 C). For this period, global potential potato yield decreases by 18% to 32% (without adaptation) and by 9% to 18% (with adaptation). At high latitudes, global warming will likely lead to changes in the time of planting, the use of later-maturing cultivars, and a shift of the location of potato production. In many of these regions, changes in potato yield are likely to be relatively small, and sometimes positive. Shifting planting time or location is less feasible at lower latitudes, and in these regions global warming could have a strong negative effect on potato production. It is shown that heat-tolerant potato cultivars could be used to mitigate effects of global warming in (sub)tropical regions.

Antioxidants in Potato

Abstract: The content of compounds in potato that may act as antioxidants in the human diet is not widely appreciated. Carotenoids are present in the flesh of all potatoes. The contents mentioned in the literature range from 50 to 100 μg per 100 g fresh weight (FW) in white-fleshed varieties to 2000 μg per 100 g FW in deeply yellow to orange-fleshed cultivars. The carotenoids in potato are primarily lutein, zexanthin, and violaxanthin, all of which are xanthophylls. There is just a trace of either alpha or beta-carotene, meaning that potato is not a source of pro-vitamin A carotenes. In potatoes with total carotenoids ranging from 35 to 795 μg per 100 g FW, the lipophilic extract of potato flesh presented oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) values ranging from 4.6 to 15.3 nmoles α-tocopherol equivalents per 100 g FW. Potatoes contain phenolic compounds and the predominant one is chlorogenic acid, which constitutes about 80% of the total phenolic acids. Up to 30 μg per 100 g FW of flavonoids are present in the flesh of white-fleshed potatoes with roughly twice the amount present in red and purple-fleshed potatoes. The predominant flavonoids are catechin and epicatechin. Red and purple potatoes derive their color from anthocyanins. The skin alone may be pigmented, or the flesh may be partially or entirely pigmented. Whole unpeeled with complete pigmentation in the flesh may have up to 40 mg per 100 g FW of total anthocyanins. Red-fleshed potatoes have acylated glucosides of pelargonidin while purple potatoes have, in addition, acylated glucosides of malvidin, petunidin, peonidin, and delphinidin. The hydrophilic antioxidant activity of solidly pigmented red or purple potatoes is comparable to brussels sprouts or spinach. In red and purple potatoes with solidly pigmented flesh with levels of total anthocyanin ranging from 9 to 38 mg per 100 g FW, ORAC ranged from 7.6 and 14.2 umole per g FW of Trolox equivalents. Potato contains on average 20 mg per 100 g FW of vitamin C, which may account for up to 13 % of the total antioxidant capacity. Potatoes should be considered vegetables that may have high antioxidant capacity depending on the flesh composition.

The effect of water stress on potato growth, development, and yield

Abstract: The effect of water stress on plant morphology, production rate and marketable yield is discussed based on the literature. Compared to other species the potato is a drought sensitive plant. The reduction of yield as a result of water stress can be caused by reduced leaf area and/or reduced photosynthesis per unit of leaf area. Water shortage during the tuber bulking period decreases yield to a larger extent than drought during other growth stages. The relationship between the stress parameters relative water content (RWC), leaf water potential (LWP) and stomatal diffusion resistance on the one hand and photosynthesis on the other is discussed. Further it is shown how the amount of water needed by the potato crop depends on climate, soil and plant characters. Finally the effect of water stress on marketable yield and varietal differences to shortage of moisture are discussed.