Effect of calcium on quality parameters in three varieties of tubers of Solanum tuberosum L. at harvest and after four and eight months of cold storage conservation

Abstract

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L) is one of the most important food crops worldwide, being a carbohydrate-rich food and presenting a good source of vitamins and minerals. Moreover, the mineral enrichment of potatoes through foliar application has been implemented over the years, namely in calcium (Ca). As such, this study aimed to assess the Ca effect on some quality parameters in three varieties of tubers of Solanum tuberosum L. plants produced in Portugal (Agria, Picasso, and Rossi) and submitted to Ca biofortification process carried out with two types of Ca (CaCl2 and Ca-EDTA) and two different concentrations (12 and 24 kg.ha-1), at harvest and after four and eight months under cold storage con-servation. The Ca content increased with the biofortification treatments in the three varieties relative to control tubers and different correlations were observed between the mineral elements analyzed (Ca, P, K, Fe, Zn, and Mg). Only Agria (the control and treatment with 24 kg.ha-1 of Ca-EDTA) was found suitable for industrial processing in the three periods analyzed (harvest, 4M and 8M) and overall, both in raw and cooked tubers, there were differences between each variety considering the work strength, adhesiveness and CIELAB parameters (L, a*, and b*).