How physicochemical and nutritional traits of potatoes may vary under field conditions over long periods

• Published in: Journal of the science of food and agriculture Vol. 104; no. 7; pp. 3842 - 3852
• Main Authors: Ierna, Anita, Mauromicale, Giovanni
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.05.2024; John Wiley and Sons, Limited
• Subjects: Ascorbic acid; Citric acid; Dry matter; Dry matter content; Genotypes; Grain crops; Growing season; Phenols; Phenotype; Plant Tubers - chemistry; Potatoes; quality; Seasons; Solanum tuberosum; Solanum tuberosum - chemistry; Spatial variability; Spatial variations; Stability; Starch; Starch - analysis; Variability; Vegetables; Weather; Weather conditions; weather; seasons; Solanum tuberosum; stability; quality
• ISSN: 0022-5142; 1097-0010
• DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.13266

BACKGROUND Potato is the most important non‐grain crop worldwide, whose quality characteristics are always affected by temporal and spatial variability. Knowledge of the performance consistency of quality characteristics over long periods could prove very important to identify which quality traits are less variable over time, and therefore provide greater guarantees of stability. In this research, variations in physicochemical and nutritional traits of tubers over five consecutive growing seasons of two potato genotypes (Arizona and Vogue) were monitored in two locations. RESULTS Although qualitative performances of genotypes fluctuated across the seasons in both locations, two physicochemical traits (pH and dry matter content) and starch content showed less variability throughout the five seasons compared to total soluble solids and most of the nutritional traits (namely reducing sugars, citric acid, vitamin C, total phenolics and antioxidant capacity), which were considerably influenced by weather conditions. CONCLUSION The results suggest that pH, dry matter content and starch content traits could be used advantageously in studies of temporal stability in potatoes. This approach could prove useful in providing scientific support for the setup of potato protected geographical identifications. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.