Foliage Frost Resistance in Tuber-Bearing Solanums1

Abstract

Abstract The threat of economic losses due to frost injury is present in almost every region of the world where potatoes are cultivated. Frost damage to foliage is particularly important in parts of South America where potatoes are a primary dietary staple, but losses are also significant in many regions of North America, Asia, Northern Europe and the USSR. Potatoes are commonly grown in the temperate regions and at high elevations in the tropics where frost is a chronic problem. A particularly harsh frost in Colombia, in 1967 caused an estimated $50 million loss. Fortunately many growers in the Andean region plant small insurance crops of wild-type potatoes which possess substantial frost resistance, although the the yield and quality is poor.