Field experiments were carried out at the Agricultural Experimental Nuisance Station of University of Podlasie in Siedlce in the years [1999][2000][2001]. The influence of herbicides and their mixtures on total proteins content and on proper proteins in eatable potato tubers were analysed. The weeding chemical agents (pesticides) used in the potato treatment increased the total protein content by 0.09-0.18% and proper proteins content by 0.15-0.34% in the tubers in contrast with the ones of the control object. The statistical analysis also revealed the importance of the cultivar and weather conditions during the experimental years. Table 1. Chemical analyses were done on dry material in 3 replications. The total and proper protein content was calculated from the total and protein nitrogen content using the coefficient 6.25. The total and protein nitrogen were fixed with Kjeldahl method on the 2300 Kjeltec Analyser Unit. The results of the analyses were done statistically with the help of the variance analysis and, the significance of the difference was tested with Tukey at the significance level P = 0.05.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONThe total protein content in tubers varied from 9.54 to 10.19% and was tightly dependent on weed control applied, on cultivars and weather conditions during the experiment years (Tables 2 and 3). Herbicides and their mixtures caused the growth of total protein content comparing with the tubers of the control object. They significantly increase the concentration of the given component after the use of the following herbicides: Sencor 70 WG, Sencor 70 WG + Fusilade Super, Sencor 70 WG + Fusilade Super + adjuvant Olbras 88 EC, Basagran 600 SL + Focus Ultra. The growth of the protein content in tubers from fields sprayed with herbicides was also noticed by Mężykowska and Mazurczyk (1979), Ceglarek and Księżak (1992), Woda-Leśniewska (1994), Zarzecka and Gąsiorowska (2000), Leszczyński (2002). On the other hand, Klikocka (2001) claimed that the chemical and mechanical-chemical treatments decreased the nitrogen level in potato tubers.Among the cultivars grown, Rywal showed the highest content of total protein, Ania less where as Baszta the least. Once more, each cultivar reacted by increasing the protein content after chemical interventions. The significance of the influence of cultivars on the given characteristic was proved by numerous researches (Roztropowicz 1989, Mazurczyk 1994, Mitrus et al. 2003.Weather conditions during the experimental years significantly differentiated the total protein content. The tubers of the mild drought year 2001 gathered the highest content of the given component but a lot less during the humid seasons of vegetation (1999 and 2000). The influence of weather conditions on protein content was proven in many scientific works (Mężykowska and Mazurczyk 1979, Zrůst and Holá 1994, Zarzecka and Gąsiorowska 2000, Mazurczyk and Lis 2001. Klikocka (2001) claimed that during the dry year, nitrogen was more (a relative result) than in the cold year for
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