The basics through practical applicationall in one book!

Potatoes are a crucial food crop around the world, grown in nearly 150 countries. The Handbook of Potato Production, Improvement, and Postharvest Management compiles everything you need to know about potato crop production in one well-organized reference. Leading international authorities clearly discuss the biology, genetics, breeding, diseases, and effective approaches for improvement of crop and handling after harvest. This one-of-a-kind text explores, from interdisciplinary perspectives, every aspect of potato crop management from seed germination to end use while presenting the most current research available.

The Handbook of Potato Production, Improvement, and Postharvest Management reviews both wild and cultivated potatoes, examining the crop's origins, history, and habitat. Cultivation techniques are discussed in detail, with emphasis on breeding, biotechnological, and agronomic methods that can improve yield and help ensure the health of the vegetable. Qualitative and quantitative genetic traits are comprehensively explained, and integrated management of pests, diseases, weed, and water are extensively considered. Various abiotic stresses are examined, including heat, drought, salinity, frost, and others. Potato crop's most devastating disease, late blight, is explored in detail. Different types of after-harvest storage are analyzed with an eye toward maintaining optimum freshness year-round, and a useful description of biochemical changes effected during storage is included. Processing and detailed information on food value are also reviewed. In addition, a final chapter explores true potato seed (TPS) options. The book includes detailed references and helpful tables, graphs, and figures to enhance understanding of material.

Topics in the Handbook of Potato Production, Improvement, and Postharvest Management include:

• history
  
• structure
  
• biosystematics
  
• genetics
  
• breeding
  
• biotechnology for improvement
  
• approaches to improve quality
  
• ecophysiology and agronomic management
  
• comprehensive information on diseases and viruses
  
• insects
  
• abiotic stresses and their management
  
• storage issues
  
• processing
  
• and much more!
  
  

The Handbook of Potato Production, Improvement, and Postharvest Management makes an invaluable desktop reference for educators, postgraduate students, researchers, and any potato industry professional. The text is also perfect for university reference libraries.

About the Author

Jai Gopal, PhD, is Principal Scientist in the Division of Crop Improvement at the Central Potato Research Institute in Shimla, India. His research experience includes nearly three decades in potato genetics, breeding, and biotechnology. He has studied genetics and floral biology of the potato, has bred a number of potato varieties and parental lines, and has developed selection procedures combining in vitro and in vivo approaches. His work has appeared in Theoretical & Applied Genetics, Plant Breeding, Plant Cell Reports, Euphytica, and Potato Research.

S.M. Paul Khurana, PhD, is Vice-Chancellor at Rani Durgawati University in Jabal pur, India. He was National Coordinator of Potato for ten years and Director of the Central Potato Research Institute for three years. His research experience includes over three decades of work on plant viruses and viroids, and he is an expert in virus detection techniques. He standardized use of ELISA and ISEM for detection of potato viruses and developed simple techniques for screening resistance to potato viruses. His published works have appeared in various international journals. Dr. Khurana has also edited several books, conference proceedings, and journals.

Book Information
ISBN 9781560222729
Author Jai Gopal
Format Paperback
Page Count 636
Imprint CRC Press Inc
Publisher Taylor & Francis Inc
Weight(grams) 952g