Since most of us will plant eyes of a tuber that means we are planting a vagatative growth not a seed. Planting an eye of a potato is more like planting a clone of the plant then a differet plant. So even if you plant a hybrid potato the tuber will be a hybrid. A bit different then seed many varieties. The potato 'seed' of commerce is not true botanical seed, but rather consists of sections of potato tuber with one or more 'eyes', i.e. lateral buds (Everett, 1981). The potatoes of commerce are therefore all reproduced vegetatively, as clones. This necessarily means that once a cultivar is produced, it is genetically stable in perpetuity, barring mutation, clonal variation (Shepard et al., 1980) or some other unusual event. It also means that potato clones are especially susceptible to disease transmission via the tuber sections (Ross, 1986). http://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/potato.html A hybrid variety is made by cross-pollinating two specific parent varieties. This first generation of offspring is referred to as the F1 hybrid. Although F1 hybrids often show increased yield and vigor, the plants will not breed true if its seeds are saved. F1 Hybrids include many kinds of sweet corn, summer squash, melons, cucumbers, carrots, spinach and some tomatoes and peppers. Open pollinated varieties are cross-pollinated plants that will breed true from seed if they are isolated from other varieties of the same species. Many heirloom varieties are open-pollinated. Examples of open-pollinated varieties include most winter squash and pumpkins, radishes, popcorn and ornamental corn, and some cucumbers, squash and carrots. Pure line varieties are self-pollinated. They do not need to be isolated and will breed true from saved seed. Examples include all beans and peas, lettuce, and some kinds of tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. Clonal varieties are propagated by methods other than seed. Like "chips off the old block," they will yield true if planting stock is saved, but diseases can be a problem. Examples include most potatoes, garlic and asparagus. Genetically modified organisms (GMO) are transgenic varieties developed by inserting a gene from another organism into a plant. There are currently no GMO varieties available to home gardeners. http://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/story.php?S_No=251&storyType=garden&cmd=pf Here is a link that might be useful: Reproduction and Genetics of Potato

I have to agree with fruitgirl, but for reasons that most people seldom think about. No doubt about it, organic yields are comparable to conventional on a bushel-to-bushel basis. And I agree that organic methods do work. On certain plots, with certain techniques they may even out produce conventional several times over. However, what we seem to forget is that organic practices include longer rotation schedules than conventional. I live on a conventional farm in the upper Midwest and here the rotation is probably the same for most Midwest farm: corn, then soybeans, then corn again, then soybeans again, and so on, forever. An organic farmer would also plant corn, then soybeans. The third year is where the difference begins to show. The farmer is going to plant oats, buckwheat, or rye early in the spring, and then more than likely, it will get plowed under to break the weed cycle. After it gets plowed, the field will be seeded to alfalfa, or maybe timothy hay. If it is alfalfa, the field will remain in alfalfa for several years until the cycle begins again. THIS IS GREAT FOR THE SOIL!! But look what it does for the on-going, overall yield of corn and soybeans: over four years the organic farm has only produced one-fourth of the conventional yield of corn and soybeans. Of course, we can argue that is how farming should be done, however, our society and culture must undergo a tremendous culture shift in order for that to succeed. A whole lot less meat, and much more vegetables and grain. So fruitgirl rightly stated: "I'm not arguing that organic farms do not experience good yields. I'm saying that a large-scale organic farm doesn't get the same yield as a large-scale conventional farm because they have a harder time battling the effects of monoculture. And, as I stated above, the US (and most other developed countries) are not structured in such a way to allow for a multitude of small farms". In the end, it is this "really-good-for-soil" cycle that reduces overall yields, not the lack of chemicals applied to the soil. Small organic farms do out produce conventional farms. Small organic vegetable and fruit operations are better for our health, the environment, and our society as a whole. And despite the fact that I would wish the whole planet to go organic, I agree with fruitgirl, that our structure of food production is now geared towards feeding 6 billion people and difficult to change. Yes, we do add more organic acres every year, but China is adding them even faster than the US. The US hasnt met its need for organic production since 2000. Nearly 15% of all organic food sold in this country is now imported, and at the rate of production of organic food look-alike junk (Oreos, Cheetos, toaster pastries, etc.) the imports are only going to rise. Moreover, the rate of conversion of conventional to organic has slowed down. Unfortunately, I suspect suburbanites often fail to fully understand farming and fall victim to the shouts of the anti-agribiz types.

farmerdilla, Thanks for your comments. However the tuber I have is neither the species/variety of yam nor the sweet potato that you describe. Dioscorea alata (at least some varieties) has intensely colored purple flesh like that I see. Dioscorea batatas does not. I believe, but I'm not 100% sure, that Dioscorea alata is the only one of the genus that has flesh of this color. Certainly it is by far the most common species of the color. It is also known as Ube. As far as availability, the market I found it in was not technically "Asian" but it is in a neighborhood that is more than 50% Asian, mostly Chinese. It has lots of fruits and vegetables that I'm not familiar with. And the name "Chines Yam" is often applied to D. alata, although not as frequently as D. batatas is. However D. batatas would not have purple flesh. If it were a sweet potato, from what I understand it's most likely Okinawan puple sweet potato (I don't know of any other purple varieties, and nothing I've looked into suggests that a different variety that is commonly sold has purple flesh). As far as size: yes yams CAN grow big. Is D. alata generally sold as tubers greater than 4 lbs? No. From "The South American Table" by Maria Baez Kijac: "The yam (Dioscorea alata), called name in South America, is native to Africa but now grows in many tropical regions of the world. Yams are usually the size of large potatoes, but some may weigh up to 100 pounds." Just to complicate things, I'm positive that the tuber has been abraded so that it looks paler in color--there are darker, scaly regions where it looks like the abrasion process didn't (and often couldn't) reach. Lightly colored regions only exist where it looks like regions of the skin have been scratched off. Imagine dragging you fingernails multiple times across the surface--the parallel markings would look like this. I have a regular yam right next to it--it has paler, slightly yellow skin that is smooth. It's not the Okinawan variety--it has white, slightly yellow flesh. So what it boils down to is whether the purple colored tuber is the purple colored yam (D. alata or Ube) or the purple colored sweet potato (Okinawan purple sweet potato). I've spent quite a while looking and haven't found the answer. And again, this is in precisely a neighborhood where you might expect to find real Dioscorea, not just mislabeled sweet potatoes.

How can you deduct what you're giving for samples? You're growing it same as the rest and deducting cost of growing. That would make me mad too - has this guy never bought from you before? Don't you have a sign with your farm name? I assume the absent vendor had. Some people are clueless. On getting it all done - I tied up all my tomatoes along the fences yesterday, counted I have 200 in ground (plus 1 volunteer that will have to be pulled b/c it's too close to a transplant - I didn't notice it among the weeds along the fenceline a month ago). 4 dwarf varieties trialing in 13 pots on the porch (plus 2 Cosmonaut Volkov in half gal pots that look leggy but healthy, I may put in 5 gal buckets to see what happens). Planted 16 more sweet (non-bell) peppers in east bed of tunnel to see what they do, that makes 96 in tunnel, 6 (5 of them superhots) overwintered in pots and need to be potted up, did just put 8 Hinkelhatz in 4" pots b/c they looked so good in cell pack and seeds are rare I'm hoping to sell plants. Have 3 Black Krim in 4" pots that look good, don't know if I can sell them now but I hate to compost them. DH didn't water the plants I moved into garage to shelter from Arthur so the rest are being composted. I didn't count the bean plants but have about 70ft of pole beans, about that of bush beans. Melons really aren't growing (do watemelon plants need LOTS of water when they're 3" across?), cukes are slow, squash is growing but no male flowers yet. Cilantro is flowering - I'm leaving it to seed and attract beneficials, will sow more, dill is just starting but I need to sow more, have to sow basil I never got around to. Been pulling bolting lettuce - trying to let kale flower (couldn't find Red Russian this year and used all my seed starting in March, got 2 plants in the garden and they're being skeletonized). Curly kale doing well but I'm going to seed more. Going to try carrots in tunnel since I have 36ft (x2ft) beds left on east side and that is nice fairly sifted fine composted manure (hope I don't get all tops, it tested Low in N but tomatoes and peppers like it). So I talk to my sister (now down from Boston staying with my parents) yesterday, make plans to take kids to my uncle's pool (1/2 mile from me) in afternoon weather permitting. I said I don't like DD to be out from 10-2, so after 2 sounded good. Said I'd probably just work til noonish b/c it was going to be too hot, call my cell I'll have it in the truck. She said she'd call after lunch. I don't have any missed calls when I knock off at 12:34 after frantically working (not even watering peppers in, not pruning tomatoes, no weeding or mulching that needs to be done out back). So I eat lunch, go pot up those Hinkelhatz in garage, run back in, no messages on house or cell phones, prune blackberries, weed in house garden, general putzing, at 2:30 I try mom no answer at house, call sis's cell no answer leave message but it's starting to sprinkle so I don't know if they decided to go to movies or something. Hop on GW and post on a few boards, read weekly Ag report from state, etc. 4:45 no answer my parents' house, call cell, my sister answers and says they're at pool, just ready to leave! My mom told her not to call b/c l"ikely I was busy". If I was busy I wouldn't answer, or I'd tell them I couldn't meet them! She had said she was going to call after lunch and I piddled around the house waiting, then was getting a little anxious if they'd been in accident or something (with my DD) b/c no one was returning my calls! We've got plans to go to concert at park tomorrow night, I have to get DD today to bring to fife and drum practice tonight, but I told them I was going to be busy today b/c it was supposed to be better weather than yesterday, I had things I needed to do that I had put off. How do you deal with people like this? My mom thought I'd be working and wouldn't have time but my sister and I had made plans to at least discuss the weather/pool/other ideas between noon and 2. If I had an office job and said I was going to take the afternoon off to be with them, even if the activity was dependent on the weather, wouldn't they have called??? I should have just gone back out and started seeding carrots. This post was edited by ajsmama on Wed, Jul 9, 14 at 7:59