Lovers of French fries, baked potatoes and other potato dishes, listen up. Did you know that Greenland produces potatoes that are super healthy compared to those produced from other countries? That’s right and this is now the subject of a new research by some Danish folks.
What makes Greenland’s potatoes unique is that they can easily resist mold that normally attacks ordinary potatoes from other parts of the world. In Denmark and other countries, potato farmers have to deal with mold that destroy the crop’s shoots and affects its growth and quality.
For many years, scientists have tried to establish the factors behind these unexplainable mechanisms. However, it is only now that they are getting positive results in their studies.
According to the Danish researchers doing a study on this issue, they found that the mold present in Greenland’s soil is of the same type as that found in Denmark. They have also discovered a bacteria that does not exist in Denmark’s soil but which is quite suitable for the climate conditions in Greenland. This particular bacteria produces substances that prevent the growth of mold in potatoes.
Danish head researcher Peter Stougaard added that although they’re not very sure which substances in the bacteria actually protect the potatoes from mold, they are also considering the cold climate in the country as a possible factor. He also pointed out that if they eventually determine the bacteria that can prevent the growth of mold at low temperatures, they could use it to protect other potato crops growing in colder areas such as Alaska. The potatoes could be treated by the bacteria before they are planted in the soil. Stougaard works at the University of Copenhagen as an associate professor at the Department of Agriculture and Ecology.
Greenland, although located in North America specifically between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, is a member country of the Kingdom of Denmark.
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