Procedure of reducing solanine in potato tubers

Potato is a significant plant source for replenishing the lack of vitamins, macro and micro elements, antioxidants, amino acids, carbohydrates, bioflavonoids and phytoncides. For ware potatoes, one of the important factors in the quality of tubers is the low content of solanine, which can be visually determined by the presence of greening of the tubers. The purpose of the present study was to substantiate the effectiveness of using the technological method “increasing the row spacing” to reduce the number of green tubers with an increased content of solanine. The study was carried out in the Moscow region (Russia) on sod-podzolic medium loamy and sandy loam soil. The laying of field experiments, counts and observations were carried out in accordance with the requirements of the field experiment methodology and the methodology for research on potato culture. It has been established that the main technological method for reducing the greening of tubers (increasing the content of solanine in tubers) is growing potatoes in wide ridges or ridges in a checkerboard pattern 110 + 30 and 120 + 30 cm. This arrangement of plants ensures not only a more uniform maintenance of the optimum moisture and temperature of the soil, but also under the active influence of winds and heavy rains, allows to maintain the soil layer around the tuber nest. The latter provides a decrease in the number of green tubers by 4.4 to 6.5%. As a result, when growing potatoes in rows, the commercial yield was higher than that in ridges by 1.2 to 5.5 t/ha (9 to 19%).