The effect of herbicides and biostimulants on sugars content in potato tubers

Zarzecka K., Gugała M. (2018): The effect of herbicides and biostimulants on sugars content in potato tubers. Plant Soil Environ., 64: 82–87. The objective of the present work was to determine changes in total sugars, reducing sugars and sucrose content in potato tubers under conditions involving an application of biostimulants and herbicides. Research material included table potato tubers obtained in a three-year field experiment. The experiment was a split-plot design with three replicates. The factors were as follows: factor I – three table potato cultivars (Bartek, Gawin and Honorata), factor II – five methods of biostimulant and herbicide application (1. control – without biostimulants or herbicides; 2. Harrier 295 ZC (linuron + chlomazon); 3. Harrier 295 ZC (linuron + chlomazon) and growth regulator Kelpak®SL; 4. Sencor 70 WG (metribuzin); 5. Sencor 70 WG (metribuzin) and growth regulator Asahi®SL. Variance analysis demonstrated that total sugars, reducing sugars and sucrose content were affected by the biostimulants and herbicides applied as well as cultivars and weather conditions. Compared with control, a significant increase in total sugars followed an application of Sencor 70 WG as well as Sencor 70 WG and the growth regulator Asahi®SL whereas reducing sugars and sucrose content significantly increased after Sencor 70 WG and the growth regulator Asahi®SL were applied.