University:
The University Of Western Ontario
Course:
Biology 2290F | Scientific Method in Biology
Academic year:

2024
Views:

63

Pages:

2
Author:

Kyuwon J.

Irish Potato ● Prominent tuber for people ● Potato native to the Andes Mountain regions in Western South America ● Solanum Family ○ Above ground part of the plant are poisonous ○ Alkaloids present ● Tubers produced below ground filled with starch,proteins,minerals, vitamines The Amazing Spud ● Short durational crop with large amount of calories ● More proteins and calories per unit area per unit time per unit of water than other plant based food ● Ratio of protein to calories ● Staple crops in many areas due to high productivity and relatively good nutritional qualities Late Blight of Potato ● Caused by fungus ○ Phytophthora infestants ● Attack almost any time after the crop has put up a fairly good foliage ● Lower leaves infected ● Show water soaked lesions ● The spots enlarge with high humidity and temperature ○ 10~20C ● In humid atmosphere growth of the fungus can be seen on lower side of theses spot as white cottony growth ○ Spots turns black as the affected leaves start rooting ○ Similar Symptoms may also be observed in stems ○ Decaying leaves often omit offensive odour ○ Tuber under the ground also decay before harvest ○ Greenish sunken area may be seen Management ● Use potato tuber for seed rom disease free ○ Ensure pathogen is not carried through seed tuber ● Spray Metalaxyl formulation ○ Repeated as 10-15 intervals ● Infected plant materials in the fields should be properly destroyed ● Grow resistance varieties Irish famine ● Killed 1.5 million and forced 1 million to move ● 1 acre of land would yield 12 tons of potatoes ● Most irish live entirely on potato ○ Highly nutritious and actually kept the Irish peasants healthier than the peasants in England who ate only bread Before Famine ● 80% of Ireland was Catholic ● 1600, Protestants owned 10% of the land ● 1778 Protestants owned 95% of the land due to Penal law ● Workhouses split put the families and put everyone in the family on hard labor, prison like condition ● 2.4 million Irish were living in complete poverty ● Irish began leaving for North America ○ Massive hard labor construction projects Blight Begins ● Devastating destruction of potato crops in Eastern US ● Potato crop destruction the reported in 1844/45 in Northern Europe with over 50% potato loss in Holland and Germany ● 1845 leaves on some potato plants blacked and ide as the result of the airborne fungus transported in the holds of ships from North America