Ploidy in potatoes

[Galina]

Ploidy is the number of sets of chromosome in a cell.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ploidy

Potatoes can be anything from diploid to hexaploid.
http://potatogenome.berkeley.edu/nsf...polyploidy.php

I am just looking at the tatermaterseeds catalogue of Tom Wagner. In particular the true potato seeds (not seed potato tubers). There are diploid potatoes, for example Baggins Dragon
http://tatermaterseeds.com/shop/inde...roducts_id=116

and Skagit Magic is diploid too
http://tatermaterseeds.com/shop/inde...roducts_id=236

and others that are tetraploid like Denali Rose
http://tatermaterseeds.com/shop/inde...roducts_id=130

Tom Wagner speaks of 'tetraploid potatoes with diploid flavour'. Interesting!
http://tatermaterseeds.com/shop/inde...roducts_id=118

[Silverleaf]

Ooh, that's useful to know. I have some Skagit Magic seeds, so yay!

[jayb]

Skagit Magic TPS throw some nice types, many have been white tubers with good taste though some can be very late to tuberise and crops vary from plants. They flower profusely and are a joy of colour for quite a time, flowers are mainly shades of purples and whites, they set pods well. When I've grown them some have very good resistance to Late Blight. If the TPS was from me it is first year open pollinated, saved from Tom's Skagit Magic TPS. I grew several Diploids close by so some crossing is possible as the bees were busy early in the season.

[Silverleaf]

Yes it's from you, found it in the pass-the-parcel swap.

[jayb]

Good to see they are being grown
Coocon Khuchi tps was grown alongside another diploid and one of Tom's. His short description "pale yellow flesh all colors of skin ..blight resistant" They were amazing flowering, just a riot of colour for what seemed an age.

[Silverleaf]

I am very much looking forward to lots of potato flowers.

[jayb]

Skagit Magic TPS in bloom!
1-IMG_5730 by jayb 35, on Flickr

[Silverleaf]

How gorgeous is that?

[jayb]

Pretty good, you can see why Tom W. suggests they can be grown as part of the flower garden.

[Silverleaf]

Yes, definitely.

That's great. I like pretty vegetables!

[Galina]

Skagit Magic tps. If I didn't know any better (and the different stems give it away) I would have said these are not potato leafed! I transplanted these a few days ago and could not believe my eyes about the developing foliage. Looks like a tomato. Have others observed this? Is it due to SM being diploid?

Can't wait for the flowers.