Potato Review

20 POTATO REVIEW MARCH/APRIL 2020 FERTILISATION FOCUS farm practice. In separate trials we added Polysulphate to the host farm’s normal farm practice of a potash treatment. The additional treatment increased total yield from 50.3t/ ha to 55.9t/ha. In these and other trials, the additional sulphate from Polysulphate alone as a straight or inside PotashpluS gave a significant yield increase.” However, it was not only yield that benefitted. Polysulphate treatments appeared to improve potato quality as well and visually the crop showed stronger growth and remained greener longer. There was also improvement in dry matter and tuber numbers. “We have been working with an independent testing company, Curtis Analytics, to examine the effect of Polysulphate products on potato quality, particularly maintaining the levels of the reducing sugars glucose, fructose and maltose. We would expect to see these sugars increasing within stored tubers. However, none were found, and we saw a significant reduction in sucrose in all the varieties we tested,” said Scott. It is widely accepted that the use of sulphate helps reduce sugars and this then reduces acrylamide levels when potatoes are fried. In trials conducted by ICL the use of Polysulphate has helped keep these levels well below targets set by the food industry. ICL will continue to do further work, in conjunction with processors to gain a better understanding of these benefits and help growers.