ARS Scientists Settle Spud Debate By Jan Suszkiw January 31,
2008 The potato, a South American native, was first exported
outside its native home to Europe in 1567. From there it was
spread worldwide, but is still referred to by some today as the
In South America, native landrace potatoes grow in two general
areas: lowland southern Chile and in the Andes mountains from
Venezuela to northern Argentina. Debate has long focused on
which of the two areas was the source of the European potato.
The Chilean source was proposed by Russian scientists in 1929
and the Andean source sometime later by English researchers. The
latter hypothesis predominates today and is widely held. Now,
two "genetic sleuths" with the Agricultural Research Service
(ARS)graduate student Mercedes Ames Spoonerhave clarified the
issue by examining DNA from pressed plant (or herbarium)
specimens collected as early as 1700. The English researchers'
hypothesis contends Chilean spuds were imported as insurance
against late-blight disease epidemics