Carotenoids in potato tubers from organic, biodynamic and conventional farming systems

Abstract

Numerous studies confirm that agriculture farming systems and cultivation technologies applied have an impact on the biologically active compounds of potato tubers. In generally, it is a widespread belief that organic farming improves the state of the environment, the health of people, and increases the quality of food products. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different farming systems on carotenoid composition in the potato tubers with coloured flesh. Five potato (Solanum tuberosum L) cultivars with different coloured flesh (Red Emmalie, Violetta, Salad Blue, Laura and Tornado) were cultivated at a farm in the Širvintos district of Lithuania (latitude, 54°54′43′N; longitude, 25°06′07′E). Potatoes were grown following traditional potato production technology in conventional, organic and biodynamic farming systems. The tubers were planted in the end of April in rows spaced at 70 cm with 30 cm between the tubers at a depth of about 7 cm. The tubers were harvested at maturity during the first week of September. In each farming system the experimental plots were arranged in a randomised design with four replications. Carotenoids and their derivatives (lutein, zeaxanthin, beta-carotene) were measured by HPLC (High-performance liquid chromatography) method. All data were statistically processed using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) method. The statistical significance of differences between the means was estimated by Fisher’s LSD test (p<0.05). [...]