How the Potato Took the Hard Way to Europe
The domestication of the potato took place around 8,000 years ago in the Lake Titicaca region, located in the Andes on the border of present-day Peru and Bolivia. The potato was brought to Europe in the 16th century by the Spanish. Initially, it was met with suspicion, as it was considered poisonous and unchristian. Therefore, for a long time it was treated mainly as a botanical curiosity or animal feed. It was cultivated mostly in monastic and princely gardens but was not included in the daily diet.
It wasn’t until the 18th century, when famine and armed conflicts spread across the continent, that the potato came to be seen as an important food crop—a valuable, nutritious, and efficient source of carbohydrates. Its widespread adoption heralded the alleviation of food shortages. Over the following decades, it became a staple in the diets of people in Central and Western Europe, especially in Ireland, Poland and Germany.
However, the rapid expansion of potato cultivation brought risks: in the mid-19th century, potato blight (Phytophthora infestans) ravaged fields on a massive scale. Ireland was hit the hardest, where between 1845 and 1848, famine claimed around a million lives and forced another million to emigrate. In response, chemical protection practices (fungicides) were introduced, and efforts to breed disease-resistant varieties began—efforts that became the foundation for the success of potato farming in Europe. Thanks to these actions, the potato became a stable food source.
The Power of the Potato – From Famine to Global Crop Diversity
The potato (Solanum tuberosum) ranks third among the world’s most important food crops, after rice and wheat. Throughout history, the potato has contributed to food security and poverty alleviation. Today, it still plays a key role in global food security due to its high yield in a short period, low land requirements and ability to adapt to a wide range of environmental conditions.
Potatoes are cultivated for various purposes: for direct consumption, processed products, industrial starch, seed potatoes, and to a lesser extent, animal feed.
There are thousands of potato varieties, differing in size, shape, color, texture, culinary properties, flavor, starch content, and disease resistance. Variety selection depends not only on local climatic conditions and agronomic characteristics but also on the intended market use of the crop.
Potato – The King of European Cuisine
Although fresh potato consumption has declined in recent decades in Europe and North America—mainly due to the rising popularity of other carbohydrate sources such as pasta, rice, or groats—it is still hard to imagine European cuisine without the potato.
The potato is a true culinary chameleon—boiled, baked, fried, or stewed, it serves as a base for mashed potatoes, gnocchi, potato pancakes or fries. Various varieties enable everything from creamy purées to firm new potatoes. Its neutral flavor pairs perfectly with butter, cream, cheeses, garlic and herbs, and with the right preparation. It offers a healthy source of starch, fiber, vitamin C, and potassium.
The potato is not just food – it is also part of the cultural identity of many countries. Its history shows how a once-suspect botanical novelty became one of the most important vegetables on our continent.
Pathogens vs. Production – The Realities of Potato Cultivation
Although potato production and consumption are declining in Europe and North America, global production has increased in recent decades, mainly due to rising consumption in Asia.
Potatoes are vulnerable to many pathogens that can cause serious qualitative and quantitative losses. These diseases negatively affect tuber quality during cultivation, storage, and processing. The most significant potato diseases worldwide include: late blight (Phytophthora infestans), early blight (Alternaria solani), stem canker (Rhizoctonia solani), potato wart (Synchytrium endobioticum), powdery scab (Spongospora subterranea), bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum), black leg (Pectobacterium spp.), potato virus Y (PVY), potato leaf roll virus (PLRV) and yellow potato cyst nematode (Globodera rostochiensis).
The importance of individual diseases varies by region and climate. Particularly dangerous is late blight, due to its aggressiveness and high genetic variability. Under optimal conditions, it can destroy a crop within a week. Fungicides remain the primary control method because high-resistance varieties are less accepted by the market. As a result, potato cultivation is heavily dependent on pesticide use. In many countries, it receives the highest amount of plant protection products per hectare.
Weed, Pest, and Pathogen Control in Potato Cultivation
Effective potato cultivation requires comprehensive plant protection—not only from diseases but also from weeds and pests. Since the space between rows remains uncovered for a long time, weeds like lamb’s quarters, knotweed, or cleavers gain a competitive advantage. An optimal protection program combines pre-emergence and post-emergence treatments, effectively halting weed growth and ensuring high yields and tuber quality.
Pre-emergence herbicide treatments are applied to moist soil at least a week before sprouting, targeting weeds like lamb’s quarters or knotweed. After sprouting (from May onward), attention shifts to controlling the Colorado potato beetle, one of the most significant pests. Monitoring enables early detection of larvae, which can be eliminated using biopesticides (spinosad, azadirachtin), or in severe infestations, with chemical agents (e.g. lambda-cyhalothrin, deltamethrin, acetamiprid, chlorantraniliprole).
Among fungal diseases, the most dangerous are late blight and early blight, which occur mainly in full vegetative growth. Their development is favored by warm, humid weather and agronomic errors such as early planting. The protection program is also enriched with agronomic practices, such as proper liming and soil structure improvement, which support plant health and reduce infection risk.
The entire strategy is based on integrated management combining chemical, biological, and agronomic methods, ensuring yield stability and high tuber quality with minimal environmental impact.
Table 1. List of Active Substances Approved for Use in Potato Protection (Polish Ministry of Agriculture, as of 14.07.2025)
|
Type of Product |
Active Substance |
|
| Fungicide | · Ametoctradin,
· Amisulbrom, · Azoxystrobin, · Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (formerly subtilis) strain QST 713, · Boscalid, · Cyazofamid, · Cymoxanil, · Difenoconazole, · Dimethomorph, · Fluazinam, · Fluxapyroxad, · Fluopicolide, · Fluopyram, · Flutolanil, |
· Folpet,
· Imazalil, · Mandipropamid, · Mefentrifluconazole, · Metalaxyl-M, · Copper and its compounds, · Oxathiapiprolin, · Pyraclostrobin, · Propamocarb, · Prothioconazole, · Pseudomonas sp. strain DSMZ 13134, · Trichoderma asperellum strain T34, · Valifenalate, · Zoxamide. |
| Insecticide | · Acetamiprid,
· Azadirachtin, · Chlorantraniliprole, · Cyantraniliprole, · Cypermethrin, · Deltamethrin, · Flonicamid, · Flupyradifurone, |
· Lambda-cyhalothrin,
· Rapeseed oil, · Pyrethrins, · Spinosad, · Spirotetramat, · Tau-fluvalinate, · Tefluthrin. |
| Herbicide | · Aclonifen,
· Bentazon, · Chizalofop-P-ethyl, · Clomazone, · Cycloxydim, · Diflufenican, · Fluazifop-P-butyl, · Flufenacet, · Flurochloridone, · Glyphosate, |
· Carfentrazone-ethyl,
· Clethodim, · Nonanoic acid, · Metobromuron, · Metribuzin, · Pendimethalin, · Propachizafop, · Prosulfocarb, · Rimsulfuron. |
| Growth Regulator | · 1,4-Dimethylnaphthalene,
· 1-Methylcyclopropene, · Sodium 5-nitroguaiacolate, · Spearmint oil extract, |
· Ethylene,
· Maleic hydrazide, · Sodium nitrophenolates (para-, ortho-), · Orange oil. |
| Molluscicide | · Metaldehyde,
· Fluopyram, |
· Iron(III) phosphate,
· Iron pyrophosphate. |
| Acaricide | Fosthiazate | |
| Desiccant | Pyraflufen-ethyl | |
| Disinfectant | Dazomet | |
| Other (Sanitizer) | Benzoic acid | |
Based on tests performed at Hamilton UO-Technology Ltd. in 2024, Table 2 shows the pesticide residues detected in the 349 potato samples tested.
Table 2. Pesticide residues detected in potato samples, 2024 (own data of HAMILTON UO-Technology)
| Detected Residue | Number of Samples with Detected Residue (> LOQ) | Non-Compliant with Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 |
| Chlorothalonil | 127 | |
| Bromide ion | 40 | |
| 1,4-Dimethylnaphthalene (DMN) | 30 | |
| 2,6-Dichlorobenzamide (BAM) | 30 | |
| Fluxapyroxad | 26 | |
| Flutolanil | 24 | 4 |
| Maleic hydrazide | 22 | |
| Chlorpropham | 14 | 1 |
| Fluopicolide | 10 | |
| Chlorate | 7 | |
| Imidacloprid | 6 | 4 |
| Dicamba | 4 | 2 |
| Cyantraniliprole | 3 | |
| Aclonifen | 2 | |
| Azoxystrobin | 2 | |
| Chlorantraniliprole | 2 | 2 |
| DDT* | 2 | |
| Fluopyram | 2 | |
| Flupyradifurone | 2 | |
| Mandipropamid* | 2 | |
| Metalaxyl and Metalaxyl-M* | 2 | |
| Metobromuron | 2 | |
| 2,4-D* | 1 | 1 |
| Acetamiprid | 1 | 1 |
| Clopyralid | 1 | |
| DEET (Diethyltoluamide) | 1 | |
| Dimethomorph* | 1 | |
| Metribuzin | 1 |
*Included as per definition in Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, as amended.
If you have any questions or concerns, J.S. Hamilton Experts are at your service.