ABSTRACT
The cultivated potato, Solatium tuberosum L. (2n = 4x = 48), is the most important vegetable crop, constituting the fourth most important food crop in the world; it was grown on more than 19 million ha in 2001 (FAO 2002). A potato crop produces, on average, more food energy and protein than cereals, and the lysine content of potato complements cereal-or maize-based diets deficient in this essential amino acid. Not only is the potato an important food for the fresh market, it is also the raw material for French fry, chip, and starch-processing industries. It is highly produc tive on a per hectare basis and, because of its adaptability, can be grown commercially in all of the 50 states of the USA.
