Did you know…?
The first potatoes were cultivated about 8,000 years ago by communities of hunters and gatherers near Lake Titicaca – high in the Andes mountains, on the border between Peru and Bolivia. Those first farmers obtained the cultivated potato by domesticating wild potato plants that grew around the lake in abundance.
The potato is the world’s No. 1 non-grain food crop in the world. Maize (corn), wheat, and rice are the top grain crops worldwide.
More than 300 million metric tons of potatoes are produced annually.
The potato was the first plant grown in outer space – when it was taken into space aboard the shuttle Columbia in 1995.
One medium potato eaten with the skin on has nearly half of the Daily Value for vitamin C, and is one of the best sources of potassium and fiber in the produce section.
Potatoes produce more food per unit of water than any other major crop.
Something else you may not have known – problems with soil wettability can have a big (and negative!) impact on potato yield, quality and water use. Even low levels of soil water repellency can interfere with soil wettability in potato ridges causing water to runoff, move unevenly into the soil – and not get to the potatoes!
Aquatrols’ IrrigAid Gold Soil Surfactant can improve water penetration into soil and subsequent soil wetting – resulting in a better growing environment for potatoes (and other crops like corn and tomatoes).
Independent research in the US and Netherlands has repeatedly linked the use of Irrigaid Gold with improvements in soil wetting, crop yield and consistency and tuber quality. (Contact Aquatrols for more details on this research.)
For more interesting facts on spuds check these links:
http://www.potato2008.org/en/kids/index.html
http://www.lovepotatoes.co.uk/kids/fun-facts
http://www.coloradopotato.org/colorado_potato_facts_nutrition.php
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