Effect of white fleece on the selected quality parameters of early potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers

The effects were tested of white fleece on the contents of ascorbic acid, nitrates, and polyphenols in 1999 and 2000, and on the carotenoids content in 2000 and 2001 in tubers of two early potato varieties (Adora and Impala) in field trials on two cultivation sites (Prerov n/Labem and Prague-Troja). Early irrigated potatoes were cultivated according to the uniform methodology for field trials. Two variants were compared - cultivated plants covered with white fleece (Pegas-Agro UV 17) and the controls without any covering. The tubers were harvested three times in intervals of 7-16 days. The results were statistically tested by ANOVA and Tukey's methods. Ascorbic acid content showed a tendency to higher values in the potatoes covered with white fleece as compared with the control samples (average increase by 12.3%). The effect of the fleece was significantly affected by the potato genotype and the year of cultivation (cv. Adora showed a content higher by 12.54% in comparison with the control). The tendency to reduce nitrate levels was observed in potato tubers cultivated under the fleece, especially in the second term of harvest (on average by 14.34%). The decrease between the first and the third term of harvest was apparent. The higher was the maturity of potato tubers, the lower nitrate content was found. Significant differences were found between the varieties (P = 0.0058) and the cultivation sites (P = 0.0399). The effect of white fleece on polyphenol content was not statistically significant. However, the effect of the year of cultivation on the polyphenols content was significant (P = 0.0094). The effect of white fleece on the carotenoids content was not statistically significant but a tendency to lower contents in the variant with white fleece was found (by 7.2%). The sites and the varieties affected the carotenoids contents significantly (P = 0.0028 and P = 0.0417, respectively).