Wild potatoes are typically small, bitter, and toxic tubers that are native to Central and South America. They are different from cultivated potatoes, which have lost genetic variation through domestication.
Here are some characteristics of wild potatoes:
- Size: Wild potato tubers are usually much smaller than cultivated potatoes.
- Shape and color: Wild potatoes come in a variety of shapes and colors.
- Stolons: Many wild potatoes have very long stolons, which can make them difficult to manage in the ground.
- Traits: Wild potatoes have many traits that can be beneficial to cultivated potatoes, including disease and pest resistance, adaptability to extreme weather, and limited nutrient resources.
The greatest threat to wild potato species is temperature change coupled with loss of habitat. Recent modeling studies show that by 2050 as many as 13 wild potato species may become extinct.
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