Russified Spaniard: in what country did they first start growing potatoes?

Potatoes are one of the most famous crops in the world. It is one of the five most important food plants along with corn, rice, wheat, and among non-grass crops, it ranks first.

It is grown in more than 100 countries around the world. Many of them, including Russia, cultivate potatoes not only for consumption, but also for export abroad.

In the article we will learn in detail about the history of the root, compare the yield of potatoes in the countries where it is most popular.

Story

Where in our planet for the first time began to grow potatoes? Originally from South Americawhere you can still meet his wild ancestor. Scientists believe that the ancient Indians began to cultivate this plant about 14 thousand years ago. He came to Europe in the middle of the 16th century, brought by the Spanish conquistadors. At first its flowers were grown for ornamental purposes, and the tubers were used as animal feed. Only in the 18th century they began to be used as food.

The emergence of potatoes in Russia is associated with the name of Peter I, at that time it was an exquisite court delicacy, and not a mass product.

Potatoes spread later in the second half of the 19th century.. This was preceded by "potato riots", caused by the fact that the peasants who were forced to plant potatoes on the orders of the king, did not know how to eat them and used poisonous fruits, and not healthy tubers.

Read more about where and how potatoes are grown in Russia in our material.

We also recommend watching the video about the history of potatoes:

Flag photo

And this is the flag of the country in which they began to cultivate potatoes.

Conditions and places of cultivation

Now potatoes can be found on all continents where there is soil. The most suitable for growth and high yields are considered zones of temperate, tropical and subtropical climates. This culture prefers cool weather, the optimum temperature for the formation and development of tubers - 18-20 ° C. Therefore, in the tropics, potatoes are planted in the winter months, and in middle latitudes in early spring.

In some subtropical regions, the climate allows you to grow potatoes year-round, while the dew cycle is only 90 days. In the cool conditions of Northern Europe, the harvest is usually carried out 150 days after planting.

In the 20th century, Europe was the world leader in potato production.. From the second half of the last century, potato growing began to spread in the countries of Southeast Asia, India, and China. In the 1960s, India and China jointly produced no more than 16 million tons of potatoes, and in the early 1990s, China came out on top, which continues to hold until now. In total, in Europe and Asia, more than 80% of the total world crop is harvested, with a third accounting for China and India.

Productivity in different states

The reason for such a low yield is the fact that more than 80% of potatoes in Russia are grown by so-called unorganized small landowners. The low level of technical equipment, the rare holding of protective measures, the lack of quality planting material - all this affects the results.

European countries, USA, Australia, Japan are traditionally distinguished by high yields. (about how to get a rich harvest of early potatoes, read here, and from this article you will learn how to properly grow potatoes, as well as tell you about new technologies for large-sized root crops). This is primarily due to the high level of technical support and quality of planting material. The world record for yields belongs to New Zealand, where it manages to collect an average of 50 tons per hectare.

Leaders in growing and production

Here is a table with the designation of countries that grow roots in large quantities.

Export

In international trade, the world leader is the Netherlands, which accounts for 18% of total exports. About 70% of Holland's exports are raw potatoes and products made from it..

In addition, this country is the largest supplier of certified seed potatoes. Of the three largest producers, only China ranked among the top 10 exporters, which ranks 5th (6.1%). Russia and India practically do not export their products.

Using

According to international organizations, approximately 2/3 of all the potatoes produced in one form or another are eaten by people, the rest goes to feed livestock, various technical needs and seeds. In the area of ​​global consumption, there is currently a shift from eating fresh potatoes to processed foods from it, such as french fries, chips, mashed potato flakes.

In developed countries, potato consumption is gradually decreasing, while in developing countries it is steadily increasing. Inexpensive and unpretentious, this vegetable allows you to get good yields from small areas and provide healthy food to the population. Therefore, potatoes are increasingly planted in areas with limited land resources and surplus, expanding the growing geography of this crop and increasing its role in the system of world agriculture from year to year.

Watch the video: Latvia. Wikipedia audio article (April 2024).