Scientists Reveal the Authentic Potato Germplasm Neo-Tuberosum Origin

Botanist David Spooner and colleagues at the International Potato Center in Peru recently busted the belief that the widely-used potato germplasm Neo-Tuberosum originated from the Andes Mountains. They found out that Neo-Tuberosum originated from southern lowland Chile.

Spooner and his team came up with these findings when they were measuring how much the genetic base of modern potato varieties and breeder's line has expanded from the Andean and Chilean landraces. To investigate the origins of 193 potato varieties and breeders' lines, they used microsatellite genetic markers - tools used by taxonomists to identify closely related species. Spooner believes that their findings will affect how the potato species are viewed by scientists, especially those who study the evolutionary history of potatoes. Their findings can also serve as additional information for researchers who study the classification and identification of potatoes.

Read more at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/may10/germplasm0510.htm.