World’s largest not-potato
Robert Parks via pbs (Sun, 20 Mar 2022 07:27:51 PDT)
And here in California we have the man root, a cucurbit (Marah) that grows
a perennial tuber to larger than 100 kilos. Although I suppose, if you had
a big one in your garden, the distinctive foliage and fruits might tip you
off...and the tuber doesn't much look like any potato.
They are mildly hardy, but would require a lot of work to breed them away
from toxicity and towards being g a productive crop.
On Sun, Mar 20, 2022, 6:37 AM David Schaeffer via pbs <
pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> wrote:
Idk...have to take this kind of popular "science" reporting with a grain of
salt. I mean if the guy's really a gardner he should have been able to spot
that it's not a potato. Where are the eyes? And a tuberous cucurbit in the
UK is nothing odd - my knowledge of European plants is PATHETIC, but I
still know about white bryony, and I'll bet it's not the only tuberous cuke
native to the area.
As to whether cold-hardy cukes could be created through hybridization,
sure, probably. But it would be a fairly major undertaking. You'd be
starting from the ground up (groan. Look, you want Steve Hammer-level
jokes? Go get Steve Hammer). I would think Mexico would be a good starting
point, finding something close enough to mouse melon to begin breeding.
There's ulluco, too, but it's no hardier than a potato. It'd be interesting
to try. And probably an interesting way to introduce some new viruses to
cultivation...
- Dave
On Sun, Mar 20, 2022, 9:12 AM Carl Frederick via pbs <
pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> wrote:
https://apple.news/AHcZImHfDTQmDO0nxfsOsTQ/
As a gardener wouldn’t you think he would try to grow it as opposed to
freeze it? Also, does this mean we can make more temperate mega-tubers
by
hybridization (which is not really hybridization as such since we’re
talking about a single species I assume)?
Sent from my iPhone
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