Growing Environment Influence the Anthocyanin Content in Purple- and Red-Fleshed Potatoes During Tuber Development

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine environmental factors affecting the anthocyanin content of color-fleshed potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers. After planting of two color-fleshed potato cultivars of `Hongyoung` and `Jayoung` in different 14 locations, their soil chemical properties and meteorological data were evaluated, and anthocyanin contents of tubers were analyzed after harvest, additionally their relationship among them was analyzed through correlation analysis. In comparison with two cultivars, purple-fleshed `Jayoung` potatoes showed higher anthocyanin content than red-fleshed `Hongyoung` in almost locations. When locations were divided to three categories (highland, sub-highland and lowland) according to altitude, in general, highland-grown tubers had the higher content of anthocyanin compared to those grown in lowland. An analysis of the results of chemical components of soil showed that anthocyanin content of color-fleshed potato tubers was negatively correlated with the pH of soil. In addition, mean temperature and minimum temperature from 80 to 100 days after planting most significantly affected on the accumulation of anthocyanin in color-fleshed potato tubers, that is, higher content of anthocyanin was observed in tubers produced in locations with lower mean temperature and minimum temperature from 80 to 100 days after planting. This information can be useful to producers and industries in selection of proper fields for the production of color-fleshed potato tubers having high quality in Korea.