What of the Potato?

The potato is a tuber grown underground on a specialized plant part (subterranean stem) known as stolon. Therefore, it is a modified stem in a strict botanical sense. A potato tuber is usually oval to round in shape, although intermediate shapes are also frequently encountered. It consists of an inner flesh and an outer protective cover known as a skin. There is a great variation in flesh colour and skin finish. And these two characteristics broadly, if not completely, determine the consumer preference vis-à-vis acceptability. The eye-shaped depressions on a potato tuber is known as its eyes, and actually these are the dormant buds, which give rise to new shoots under suitable conditions. These white to creamy white or pigmented new shoots are known as sprouts. And that is why the process is known as sprouting. This is a very important process in potato, because a sprouted potato is not acceptable for consumption. But optimum sprouting is a desired attribute when the tubers are used for propagation.