Category:Potato

From [[1]]

The potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a perennial plant of the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family, commonly grown for its starchy tuber. Potatoes are the world's most widely grown tuber crop, and the fourth largest crop in terms of fresh produce (after rice, wheat, and corn {maize})).

The potato originated in southern Peru [1and is important to the culture of the Andes, where farmers grow many different varieties that have a remarkable diversity of colors and shapes. Potatoes spread from the Americas to the rest of the world after European colonization in the late 1400s and early 1500s and have since become an important field crop.

The potato is also often strongly associated with Idaho, Prince Edward Island, Ireland and Russia, after having been adopted by these regions after the Columbian Exchange. However, it is native to Peru and was first cultivated by the Incas.