The potato is an essential element in the Mediterranean diet and it is given for food to many domestic animals; it is also necessary to obtain by-products in some industries.

It is a very demanding culture, both for soil and fertilizers, and it requires a strong defense against the great number of insects that attack the plant and its tubers.

The potato is a tuber, round or oval, with small white roots called ” eyes”, that are growth buds. The size varies depending on the variety; the colour of the skin can be white, yellow or even purple.

The potato culture had an enormous importance in Ireland, since it was part of the basic food. Nevertheless, this enormous dependency lead to a famine when seeing the plant was attacked by the ” mildew’; great part of the population emigrated to North American territories, fleeing from that calamity. The potato is one of the most extended cultures in all the continents and due to increase of its consumption it is gaining importance.