ABSTRACT
With the onset of biotechnology-based plant breeding, potato became an outstanding example for rapid in vitro propagation, use of haploids, protoplast regeneration and fusion, genomics, gene cloning, gene transfer, and now proteomics. Due to its tetraploid nature and high levels of self-incompatibility, potato improvement is not an easy task with classical genetic tools. Clonal nature and good in vitro growth of potato is advantageous for successful application of biotechnology. Potato is a pioneer under the aspect of genomics, marker development, and marker-assisted selection. It is also a forerunner in genetic engineering; its transformation is not too difficult and the number of cloned and transferred genes is increasing.
