Katarzyna Gościnna

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the application of different organic matter, UGmax soil conditioner and simplifications in potato cultivation on the content of dry matter, starch and sugars in tubers of the medium-early edible cultivar ‘Satina’ after harvest and after long-term storage. The highest dry matter (173.4 g kg−1) and starch (124.6 g kg−1 f. m.) content was obtained with the simultaneous application of a manure with soil conditioner at 100% mineral fertilization. In the case of sugars, the withdrawal of the soil conditioner from the crop proved most beneficial, for total sugars on the stubble intercrop (5.06 g kg−1 f. m.) and for reducing sugars (1.99 g kg−1 f. m.) in the case of straw treatment. Each protection reduction applied resulted in a significant reduction in starch content. In this regard, the withdrawal of herbicides with the simultaneous application of manure and UGmax proved most beneficial. Long-term storage of tubers caused a significant reduction in their quality in terms of dry matter and starch content (average by −3.6 and −2.3%, respectively) and an increase in total and reducing sugars (average by 11.8 and 9.6%, respectively). The decrease in dry matter and starch content was significantly influenced by the 50% reduction in NPK fertilization applied during the growing season, while the application of soil conditioner with full protection contributed to the increase in reducing sugars after storage at 28.9 pts%. Our research is in line with current trends of used potato cultivation technologies focused mainly on environmental protection, so the results of this study can provide a basis for validation for researchers currently engaged in such evaluation.