Tuesday, July 22, 2008

THE GOLDEN POTATO

SEE BETTER WITH THE GOLDEN POTATO

Genetic engineered potatoes have four times the precursor to Vitamin A as the old standby potato.  Though packed with nutrition, the potato is very poor in an essential nutrient, Vitamin A.

The potato, Solanum tuberosum, is the fourth most important source of carbohydrates in our diet, after rice, wheat, and maize. The potato is closely related to the tomato.  It is one of 1500 species of flowering plants including peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes.. 

The history of the potato dates back to Peru and Bolivia.  It was brought to Europe by the Spaniards and became a key food for the poor.  After the 19th century blight epidemic, Chilean genotypes came to replenish the potato stock.  Almost all European potatoes today are from Chilean Stock.

The Potato famine of 1850 killed the rural Irish potato fields and carried a death toll in the millions.  This resulted in a wave of European immigration to the United States.

Breeding to get blight resistant genes from wild species into cultivated potatoes works, but the mold soon overcomes resistance.

The genetic engineered golden potato requires all 3 carotene genes to get the maximum levels of carotenoids into the potato.  Unlike the golden potato, golden rice and canola only need one engineered gene.

Such engineering should help plant breeding for eggplants, pepper and even petunias. 

The potato has come a long way and still feeds a growing human population, which is estimated to be 6 billion, people in the next 2 years.  But will the golden potato be accepted by the masses?

Source: Science July 11, 2008

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