Response of New Potato Cultivars Developed for Low Tuber Reducing Sugars to Nitrogen Management.

Response of New Potato Cultivars Developed for Low Tuber Reducing Sugars to Nitrogen Management

Na Sun, Carl Rosen, James Crants, Matthew McNearney and Martin Glynn

Abstract: Acrylamide, a known neurotoxin and carcinogen, is formed in fried potato products from reducing sugars and asparagine precursors. Since its discovery, decreasing the acrylamide concentration in fries and chips has been a high priority for the potato industry. Cultivar and nitrogen (N) fertilizer management have been shown to affect acrylamide forming potential by influencing the concentration of tuber reducing sugars and asparagine. The objective of this study was to evaluate the agronomic performance and acrylamide forming potential of new potato cultivars developed for low tuber reducing sugar concentrations. New cultivars Dakota Russet and AF3001-6 were compared with Russet Burbank under five N rates (135, 202, 269, 337 and 404 kg/ha) at the Sand Plain Research Farm in Becker, Minnesota in 2014 and 2015. Tuber yield and size distribution were evaluated after harvest. Reducing sugar (glucose) concentrations were determined at harvest and following 4 and 8 months storage at the USDA-ARS Potato Research Worksite in East Grand Forks, Minnesota. In 2014, cultivar and N rate effects were significant for yield and sugar concentration. The N rate by cultivar interaction was not significant for yield. AF3001-6 had larger tubers (greater than 170 g), and higher yields than the other two cultivars. Dakota Russet had lower yields but larger tubers than Russet Burbank. Marketable yield and tuber size increased quadratically with N rate up to 269 kg/ha. Glucose concentrations in the stem end were much higher than in the bud end for all cultivars. Over all storage dates, the N rate effect on tuber glucose concentration depended on cultivar. Glucose concentration of Russet Burbank tubers in the stem end decreased linearly with increasing N rate whereas the N rate effect was not significant in the other two cultivars.  Dakota Russet and AF3001-6 tubers had significantly lower glucose concentrations than Russet Burbank tubers in both the stem and bud ends.