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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Madison, Wisconsin » Vegetable Crops Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #292359

Title: Potato

Author
item Jansky, Shelley
item Spooner, David
item Bethke, Paul

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/18/2013
Publication Date: 5/12/2014
Citation: Jansky, S.H., Spooner, D.M., Bethke, P.C. 2014. Potato. In: Diers, B., Specht, J., Carber, B., editors. Yield Gains in Major U.S. Field Crops. Madison, WI:Crop Science Society of America, Inc. p. 195-218.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Potato is the most important vegetable crop in the U.S. It is produced throughout the country and across all seasons, although production is concentrated on the fall crop in the Pacific Northwest. In 2012, 21 million metric tons of potatoes were produced on 1.14 million acres, with an average yield of 411 tons per acre. This paper describes yield gains in potato by market classes such as russet potatoes, round whites, round reds, and specialty potato varieties. In 1989, the use of the fall potato crop for processing surpassed its use for the fresh market for the first time, but since then, the majority of the potato crop has been used for processing, mainly frozen, chip, and dehydrated products. Most potatoes are harvested in the fall, with the highest production in Idaho, Washington, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Oregon, and Colorado, listed in order of total production. This paper outlines these basic facts, as well as commenting on production in major producing states, discussing transgenic potatoes, production costs, chemical controls, storage costs, and places these data in the context of the changing economics and productivity of potato in the United States.