Breeding and physiological aspects of potato cultivation in the Mediterranean region

In the Mediterranean area the potato is a very important crop and can be cultivated throughout the year. However, tuber yields are generally much lower than those in Northern European countries. This is because the environmental and agro-economic conditions are different from those of Northern countries where most cultivars were developed. We feel that the objective for the "new Mediterranean potato" must be the availability of potato cultivars for each environment and for each planting season. Breeding programmes should focus on improving potato production within a specific agro-ecological Mediterranean area rather than improving crop production across areas. This paper reports aspects of potato breeding and physiology related to resistance to stress conditions in the Mediterranean area, with particular emphasis given to resistance to abiotic (heat, drought and frost) as well as biotic stresses. We also discuss the potential to produce seed tubers suitable for potato cultivation in the Mediterranean area.