The Canon of Potato Science: 20. Volunteer Potatoes

Abstract

Volunteer potatoes, also called groundkeepers, are tubers of the potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) which produce unwanted potato plants in a wide range of cultivated crop species. Since each plant can produce further tubers, a potential to increase populations as with other ‘normal’ weed species which produce true seeds, exists. However, volunteer tubers can arise vegetatively from mother plants or from true potato seed (TPS). Thus, groundkeepers can be ‘normal’ daughter tubers or seedling tubers. In all cases, it is the residual tubers from these primary sources that are called volunteer potatoes. Clearly, the ability to multiply by both vegetative propagates (‘seed tubers’) and seed (‘true’ or ‘botanical’ seed) enhances the potential problems that can arise from volunteer potatoes. Volunteer potatoes are a serious threat to crop production, since they may produce highly competitive ‘weed plants’. They are particularly harmful in crop rotations with high frequencies of potato since they help to maintain or even increase the densities of soil-borne pests and pathogens.