A potato plant in which everything on it is edible for humans  will play a pivotal role in addressing food and nutritional security on Earth and in space.  

This kind of plant will eliminate waste while increasing crop yield.

The  current aerial portion of potato plants contain accumulated solanine  which fights  pests and pathogens but is toxic to humans. In space farming platforms, solanine-mediated plant resistance would be unnecessary in highly controlled environments.  Please see the diagram for a more complete explanation of the biochemistry involved.

Photo Credit: Nature Communications