The secret of the potato has been revealed: One of its ancestors will surprise many

The research team, led by Sanwen Huang, a genomic biologist at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and lead author of the study, examined 450 cultivated potato varieties and 56 wild species. This study also helped understand how the potato tuber, the underground food storage facility, evolved. The researchers also identified two key genes that play a critical role in tuber formation.

HIS JOURNEY STARTED WITH TOMATOES

The scientific name for the modern potato is Solanum tuberosum. Research suggests that its ancestors were a potato-like species called Etuberosum, found in present-day Peru but not forming tubers, and the wild tomato. The two plants evolved from a common ancestor about 14 million years ago and then naturally interbred after remaining separated for 5 million years.

This hybridization coincided with the rapid rise of the Andes. Thanks to its ability to form tubers, the potato was able to adapt to cold, dry climates and spread rapidly to new habitats. According to Huang, “Tubers enabled the plant to survive by allowing it to withstand cold, store nutrients, and reproduce asexually.”

"NUTRITIOUS AND UNIQUE"

Huang stated that potatoes are an incredible food source around the world, adding:

“Potatoes, which are used in almost every cooking method such as boiling, baking and frying, are rich not only in carbohydrates but also in vitamin C, potassium, fiber and resistant starch.”

Resistant starch is not digested in the intestines but ferments, feeding beneficial bacteria and contributing to digestive health.

NEW GENERATION PLANTS CAN BE PRODUCED

The research also opens a new avenue for making potato farming more efficient and weeding out harmful genetic mutations. According to Zhiyang Zhang, one of the researchers who contributed to the study, hybrid plants that produce tomato fruit above ground and potato tubers underground could even be developed in the future.

*Potatoes and tomatoes belong to the nightshade family, which also includes tobacco and peppers. Both have the same flower structure, and upon closer inspection, their leaves and flowers are quite similar. Under the right conditions, potato plants can also produce fruits that resemble small green tomatoes. However, experts warn that these fruits are poisonous and should not be eaten.