Comparación histológica de hoja y tallo de Solanum phureja variedad Colombia y líneas mutantes presentes en un cultivo del Municipio El Rosal-Cundinamarca

Abstract

The potato is one of the most significant crops in Latin America and ranks third globally for human consumption after rice and wheat. Approximately 1.4 billion people consume potatoes regularly, with global production exceeding 300 million metric tons (International Potato Center, 2021). In Colombia, potatoes are the second most important food crop after rice, cultivated in nine departments and at least 300 municipalities, primarily in Cundinamarca, Boyacá, Nariño, and Antioquia. Given its economic importance, it is crucial to promote research to improve cultivation and production processes. Mutation induction is a technique used to enhance the morphological and physiological traits of plants, increasing their resilience to various abiotic stresses. This research aims to describe the morphological and physiological characteristics of protective and conductive tissues in the leaves and stems of samples produced through mutation induction, to identify any variations, and to understand how these variations help plants adapt to environmental conditions. The samples are from a crop in El Rosal, Cundinamarca, a region favorable for potato cultivation due to its climate and soil conditions.