Uso de fertilización foliar con sulfato de zinc en variedades de Solanum tuberosum L. para incrementar el contenido de zinc en sus tubérculos

Abstract

In Ecuador, there is a significant deficiency of zinc in the population's diet. One of the strategies to improve the bioavailability of this trace element is the potatoes biofortification. The experimental part of the study was carried out at the Querochaca Campus of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of the Technical University of Ambato, located in Cevallos canton. The research used a factorial design (A*B*C), made up of 3 factors: (A) Potato varieties (INIAP-Fripapa and Chaucha roja), (B) Number of applications in foliar fertilization (0, 1, 2 and 3) and Form of foliar application (Manual spray pump and motor spray pump), with a total of 16 treatments and three replicates. In the experiment, the plots of each treatment were 21.6 m2 , in which 30 potato seeds were sown. During data processing, the Statgraphics Centurión XVI statistician was used to find the Analysis of Variance and the Mean Comparison Tests, using Tukey (5%). The results of the research determined T16 (Chaucha roja potato - 3 applications of Zinc sulfate - Motor) as the best treatment, obtaining an increase of 19.4 mg Zn/kg potato bs. (112.14%) with regard to the control treatment. On the other hand, the maximum increase achieved in INIAP-Fripapa was in treatment T8 (INIAP-Fripapa- 3 applications of Zinc sulfate- Motor), with an increase of 5.7 mg Zn/kg potato bs. (30%) respecting to the control. To conclude, the fertilizations that were carried out with Zinc Sulfate during the cultivation of the two potato varieties resulted in an increase in zinc in the tubers, without negatively affecting the weight of harvested tubers/plant, or the yield of tubers/ha.