Acrylamide Formation in Potato Crisps and Crop Management Practices

Three pre-harvest practices were evaluated to assess the effects of potato crop management practices on acrylamide precursors and the acrylamide content in potato crisps.
• Three nitrogen fertilisation doses were applied at different crop growth stages.
o T0: Local standard fertilisation system, without additional nitrogen fertilisation. The local standard fertilisation system consisted of 20 m3/ha pig slurry application before planting (in March), providing an equivalent nitrogen rate of 80 kg N/ha. After application, pig slurry was buried by a pass of a cultivator.
o T1: Standard fertilisation was applied before planting, and 103 days after planting (DAP), an additional 10 kg N/ha was applied as calcium nitrate.
o T2: Standard fertilisation was applied before planting, and an additional 20 kg N/ha as calcium nitrate was applied (10 kg N/ha 103 DAP and 10 kg N/ha 124 DAP).
• Two irrigation systems.
o TS: Sprinkler irrigated potato crops. The sprinkler treatment was irrigated similarly to the fertilisation trial: One irrigation per week, fourteen irrigations per season, and 3640 m3/ha per season.
o TD: Drip irrigated potato crops. The drip treatment was irrigated every two days, 1.6 hours per day, using a drip irrigation system with line emitters located in the row of plants and 0.3 m separation between drip emitters (mean flow rate 0.9 L/h). Irrigation started on June 14 and finished on September 13 (Forty-six irrigation days). The cumulative amount of water applied from the beginning of the irrigation until harvest was 2937 m3/ha per season.
• Two agricultural systems.
o TO. Potato crops managed by an organic production system according to Regulation (EU) 2018/848 definition. This treatment was fertilised with 9 t/ha of manure and straw compost. This application was carried out in February and was incorporated into the soil by a pass of cultivator, providing an equivalent nitrogen rate of 80 kg N/ha.
o TC. Potato crops managed by a conventional production system, with the use of plant protection chemically synthesised products. This treatment was fertilised with the local standard fertilisation system, similar to T0 on the fertilisation trial (20 m3/ha pig slurry application in March with an equivalent nitrogen rate of 80 kg N/ha).
In addition, the potato leaf nitrogen content was monitored to develop a new tool for reducing acrylamide levels in fried potato crisps by assessing the plant´s nutrient status.