Natural Mineral Enrichment in Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Agria: Accumulation of Ca and Interaction with Other Nutrients by XRF Analysis

This study aims to develop a technical itinerary for Ca biofortification of three potato varieties (Agria, Picasso and Rossi) during the 2018 production cycle. As such, a parcel was selected about 20 x 20 m (in Campos Moledo and Casal Galharda) and 20 x 24 m (in Campo Boas Águas), located in the western region of Portugal. In this context, plant biofortification was promoted throughout the respective production cycle, after planting. There were 4 leaf applications with four different concentrations with calcium chloride or, alternatively, calcium nitrate. To study the interactions between Ca and other chemical elements in the tuber and assess the index of biofortification were used different techniques, such as μ-EDXRF M4 Tornado ™ and scanning electron microscopy with X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). At harvest, it was found that the tubers produced in the Moledo, Boas Águas and Casal Galharda fields, showed an increase in Ca content of about 2.6, between 2 - 2.5 and between 1.5 - 2.5 times, respectively (relative to the application of Ca(NO₃)₂ and CaCl₂) with a predominant location in the tuber. Calcium is the most abundant mineral element in the human body and one of the most important to its functioning. It’s required in relatively large quantities, essential for bone synthesis and metabolism, tooth mineralization and for the regulation of intracellular processes in various tissues. It is known, that Ca deficiency may promote low bone density and fragility, and may also determine the evolution of pathologies, namely osteoporosis and rickets. Calcium biofortification is a strategy that promotes nutrient enhancement in food crops and can in the long run provide increased nutrient uptake and accumulation in the human body. Thus, the biofortification in Ca allows the development of a product for human consumption that presents functional characteristics at the physiological level. It was concluded that it is possible to develop products such as chips or purees enriched in this macroelement, enabling the creation of a value-added product.