Crop Specific Safety Concerns Potato

Every crop has a different relationship to the environment, which means environmental impact assessments must be conducted on a case-by-case basis. Different crops pose different threats when it comes to out-crossing or escaping cultivation. The following plant specific characteristics are taken into account for risk assessment.

General information

Potatoes are originally from South America, where Andean communities have cultivated at least 200 different varieties for centuries. After they were brought to Europe by the Spanish in the 16th century, potatoes gradually became popular across Europe.

Potatoes are a cool weather crop with optimal growing temperatures from 15–20°C. The fact that potatoes are highly heterozygous is one reason why they are rarely grown from seed. They are generally grown from vegetatively (non-sexual) propagated pieces of tuber known as seed potatoes.

Is out-crossing of transgenes from potatoes possible?

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) has only a few wild relatives in Europe, e.g. Solanum nigrum and Solanum dulcamara. These species generally do not hybridise with potato plants. Under artificial conditions, exchanges with Solanum nigrum have been observed, albeit extremely rarely. The chances of potatoes successfully out-crossing with related species are considered very low.

Can potatoes survive in the environment?