RESUMO
An excess of nitrogen (N) is used in agriculture endangering the environment and food quality. One approach to circumvent this is to generate crops with a stable or even increased productivity under limited N. Here, we studied the effect of reduced N availability on potato (Solanum tuberosum) tuber yield and quality traits using five varieties: the wild Andigena and the commercial cultivars Désirée, Milva, Saturna and Alegria. Growth on limited N resulted in less tubers with a reduced weight except for Andigena. Tubers from low N-grown plants contained more starch, less sucrose and were delayed in sprouting. Some of the trait differences can be explained by changes in hormone levels between cultivars and N conditions. In general, Saturna and Alegria performed better under limited N making them excellent breeding candidates. Our results suggest that wild species more flexibly adapt to limited N, a trait lost in commercial potatoes.