Potatoes have the following four major functions and effects:

1. Potatoes are a very good high-potassium and low-sodium food, very suitable for people with edema-type obesity, and they are rich in potassium. , almost the highest among vegetables, so it also has the effect of slimming legs.

2. It can be used to treat stomachache, ribs, carbuncles, eczema, and burns. It is a traditional Chinese medicine that harmonizes the stomach, detoxifies, and reduces swelling. It is flat in nature and sweet in taste.

3. Modern research has proven that potatoes have special effects on mediating indigestion and are a good medicine and high-quality health care product for patients with stomach problems and heart disease. Potatoes are rich in nutrients and are one of the anti-aging foods.

4. According to foreign research, the antibacterial ingredients contained in potatoes can help prevent gastric ulcers. It not only has antibacterial effects, but also does not cause drug resistance.

Potato (scientific name: Solanum tuberosum L.) is an annual herbaceous plant of the Solanaceae family. Its tubers are edible. It is the fourth most important food crop in the world, second only to wheat, rice and corn. Potato, also known as ground egg, potato, potato, etc., is the tuber of Solanaceae plants. Together with wheat, rice, corn, and sorghum, it has become the world's five major crops.

Potatoes are native to the Andes Mountains of South America, and the history of artificial cultivation can be traced back to southern Peru from about 8000 to 5000 BC.

The main potato producing countries include China, Russia, India, Ukraine, and the United States. China is the country with the largest total potato production in the world.

In 2015, China will launch the strategy of turning potatoes into a staple food, promoting the processing of potatoes into staple foods such as steamed buns, noodles, and rice noodles. Potatoes will become another staple food in addition to rice, wheat, and corn.

Extended information:

Growing conditions

Potatoes like cold weather and are a crop that likes low temperatures. The formation and growth of underground tuber tuber requires loose, breathable, cool and moist soil environment.

Potato temperature requirements: The suitable temperature for tuber growth is 16℃~18℃. When the local temperature is higher than 25℃, the tuber stops growing; the suitable temperature for stem and leaf growth is 15℃~25℃. Growth stops above 39°C.

Potatoes were introduced to China only over 300 years ago. It is said that it was introduced by overseas Chinese from Southeast Asia. In the 21st century, China's potato planting area ranks second in the world. Potatoes have high yields, rich nutrition, and strong adaptability to the environment. They are now spread all over the world. In tropical and subtropical countries, they can be cultivated and obtain higher yields even in winter or cool seasons.

Morphological characteristics

1. Tuber morphology

Herb. The fruit is stem-shaped, oblate or 15-80 cm high, spherical, glabrous or sparsely pubescent. The stem is divided into two parts: aboveground stem and underground stem. Oblong, about 3-10 cm in diameter, with white, light red or purple skin. The colors of potato skin are white, yellow, pink, red, purple and black, and the colors of potato flesh are white, light yellow, yellow, black, cyan, purple and dark purple.

2. Plant morphology

Fibrial root system. The above-ground stems are diamond-shaped and hairy. The primary leaves are single leaves with entire margin. As the plant grows, it gradually forms odd and unequal pinnate leaves. The leaflets are often alternate in size, 10-20 cm long; the petiole is about 2.5-5 cm long; the leaflets are 6-8 pairs, oval to oblong, the largest one can be up to 6 cm long and 3.2 cm wide, and the smallest one is long and wide. Both are less than 1 cm, the apex is pointed, the base is slightly unequal, the margin is entire, both sides are covered with white sparse pubescence, 6-7 lateral veins on each side, the apex is slightly curved, the petiole is about 1-8 mm long.

The corymbs are terminal and posterior, with white or blue-purple flowers; the calyx is bell-shaped, about 1 cm in diameter, sparsely pubescent on the outside, with 5 lobes, the lobes are lanceolate, and the apex is long and acuminate. ; Corolla radial, about 2.5-3 cm in diameter, corolla tube hidden in the calyx, about 2 mm long, crown eaves about 1.5 cm long, lobes 5, triangular, about 5 mm long; stamens about 6 mm long, anthers long 5 times the length of filaments; ovary oval, glabrous, style about 8 mm long, stigma capitate.

3. Fruit shape

Potatoes are spherical, smooth, brown or purple-brown, about 1.5 cm in diameter. Seeds kidney-shaped, yellow. Flowering season is summer.

Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia-Potato