Vitamins and Glycoalkaloids in Potatoes: Organic vs Convention

Abstract: Potato tubers provide people not only with carbohydrates but also with other essential compounds for human health. Several investigations have compared the quality of crops grown under organic and conventional farming systems. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the concentrations of vitamins C, B-1 and B-2 as well as glycoalkaloids (alpha-solanine and alpha-chaconine) in potato tubers of different genotypes and to estimate the farming system (conventional and organic) impact on the content of these compounds. Twenty potato genotypes were grown under organic and conventional farming systems in Priekuli (Latvia) during 2010 and 2011. The concentrations of vitamins C, B-1 and B-2 as well as glycoalkaloids (alpha-solanine and alpha-chaconine) were significantly influenced by the potato genotype. The vitamin B-1 concentration of potato genotypes grown in the organic field exceeded that of potato genotypes grown in the conventional field. A significant negative correlation was found between the vitamin C concentration and tuber yield only in the conventional field. No significant correlations were found between the other potato characteristics, such as starch content, tuber taste after boiling and glycoalkaloids, vitamins C, B-1 and B-2. The high broad-sense heritability for all tested traits (vitamin C 93%, vitamin B-1 92%, alpha-solanine 88%, alpha-chaconine 84% and vitamin B-2 70%) demonstrated that the high genetic diversity in the potato genotype population accounted for the phenotypic expression. The present study suggested that the breeding of new potato varieties with improved nutritional quality can be launched, and that the varieties that will be developed can be produced in an environmentally friendly way.

Reference: Skrabule, I., et al. (2013). Evaluation of Vitamins and Glycoalkaloids in Potato Genotypes Grown Under Organic and Conventional Farming Systems. Potato Research 56(4): 259-276. Available online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11540-013-9242-0