Fluctuations of sodium, copper, zinc, iron and manganese in potato tubers in the organic and integrated production system

Abstract

Studies were based on a field experiment performed in Parczew, in 2009-2011. The field trials were located on podzolic soil. The experimental factors were plant production systems (integrated and ecological) and four potato cultivars. Potato tubers were sown at a spacing of 70 x 35 cm. The integrated system included phosphatic and potassium fertilization equivalent to the uptake of the following quantities of nutrients: 110 kg N, 60 kg P, 70 kg K ha-1. Compost supplied in a dose of 35 t ha-1 was used only once in a crop rotation, under potato. The chemical plant protection treatments were applied according to the thresholds of damage caused by agrophages. No fertilization or pesticides were introduced in the ecological system, except for an application of a preparation against potato beetle. Two-year-old compost was used under potato in a dose of 35 t ha-1. Weed control in the organic system consisted of harrowing with a weeder until plant emergence, triple hilling and single hand hoeing prior to the last hilling. Potato tubers were harvested at full maturity. Samples of potato tubers for chemical analyses were taken from plots during the harvest. The content of some macro-and microelements in the dry matter of potato tubers was determined by the AAS method. The organic farming system has contributed to a higher accumulation of iron in tubers but the content of zinc was lower in comparison with the integrated system. The two farming systems did not have a significant effect on the content of sodium, copper or manganese in potato tubers. Genetic traits of the analyzed cultivars had the strongest influence on the content of elements in potato tubers. Tubers from the cultivar Irga had the highest content of sodium and copper. The concentration of zinc was the highest in tubers of cv. Satina, iron-in tubers of cv. Bryza and manganese-in tubers of cv. Jelly. The response of potato cultivars to the production systems has proved to be diverse.

Iron and manganese content and uptake with the yield of potato tubers as affected by herbicides and biostimulants, and potato tuber nutritional value

“…In the present study, the potato tuber content of iron was found to range from 58.23 to 69.91 mg kg -1 dry matter and was significantly affected by cultivar, herbicides and their mixtures with biostimulants as well as weather conditions during the growing season (Table 4). Iron content was similar to values reported by other authors (Gugała and Zarzecka, 2008;Ekin, 2011;Sawicka et al, 2016). Moreover, cv.…”

“…Also Gugała and Zarzecka (2008) demonstrated that herbicides and their mixtures (Sencor 70 WP + Fusilade Super, Basagran 600 SL, Basagran 600 SL + Focus Ultra) contributed to an increase in the potato tuber content of iron. Similar responses were observed by Sawicka et al (2016) in cv. Jelly treated with herbicides in the integrated versus organic (non-herbicide) crop production system.…”

“…Gawin accumulated the highest amounts of iron compared with Bartek and Honorata, the differences being significant. The effect of cultivar and weather conditions during the growing season on the potato tuber content of iron was also mentioned by Ekin (2011), Sawicka et al (2016) and Wierzbowska et al (2018).…”

“…According to Kabata-Pendias and Mukherjee (2007) manganese content in tuber dry matter ranges from 4 to 15 mg kg -1 , in research by Sawicka et al (2016) and Bati et al (2017) the respective ranges were 6.3-17.3 and 17.2 mg kg -1 , and in the studies by Mahamud et al (2015) conducted in USA and Bangladesh it was significantly affected by the cultivar and ranged from 7.4 to 50.6 mg kg -1 . In the experiment reported here, the tuber content of manganese was from 20.01 to 22.02 mg kg -1 and was significantly influenced by cultivars, herbicides applied alone or combined with biostimulants as well as moisture and thermal conditions during the study period ( Table 7).…”

“…Tuber quality depends on potato chemical composition and is affected by several factors, including cultivar, soil, weather conditions and agrotechnological practices (Arvanitoyannis et al, 2008). Iron content in potato tubers varies considerably and ranges from 21 to 95 mg kg -1 dry matter (Kabata-Pendias and Mukherjee, 2007;Sawicka et al, 2016).…”