Management methods of nitrate content in potato applicable to the soil-climate conditions of Russia

Abstract

Determination of potato quality should not be limited only to the usually established list of indicators (marketability, starch content, dry matter content, etc.). The safety of crop products should also be analyzed by the presence of undesirable compounds, most often of anthropogenic origin (nitrates, pesticides, radionuclides, heavy metals). Sometimes a quality indicator that does not have an obvious cost is overlooked - the so-called biological or hygienic quality of the product, which significantly affects human health. The biological quality of the product is more important than the yield although it does not have a commercial price. Product quality management requires careful analysis to identify the causes of excessive accumulation of nitrates during the growing season and, on this basis, to develop methods that eliminate them, and then methods to reduce the concentration of NO3 in already grown tubers. Nitrosamines and nitrosamides formed from nitrates with the participation of nitrites have pronounced carcinogenic, mutagenic and embryotoxic properties. In Russia, according to sanitary and hygienic standards, the MPC of nitrates for potato is 250 mg/kg, and for children and diet food the values are even lower - 80 mg/kg of raw tubers.