The production of potato products is one of the factors in solving the problem of constant and full provision of the population with food, therefore it is no coincidence that in many developed countries of the world there is a decrease in the consumption of potatoes and an increase in the consumption of processed products.
In recent decades, potato breeding has been carried out with special attention to such requirements as the intended use of the crop, improving the quality and biological value of tubers, taking into account the prospects for industrial processing into a complex of potato products, among which crisp potatoes occupy a leading position in terms of production volume. In many countries of the world, there is a noticeable trend towards the expansion of the production of potato products prepared in specialized enterprises. In this regard, the creation of new varieties and hybrids of potatoes suitable for industrial processing is an important area of scientific research.
The variety is the most important factor in increasing productivity and the main element of innovative technologies in potato growing. Not only the most important economic and consumer properties of the product depend on the source material, but also the direction of use and marketing of the grown crop. Each period in the development of the industry requires an adequate and necessarily proactive selection strategy.
World breeding practice shows that the creation of new potato varieties with high adaptive potential provides real progress in increasing yields and product quality in changing agro-climatic growing conditions while reducing the pesticide load and improving the ecological situation of the environment.
In this regard, the accelerated development and commercialization of promising varieties of domestic breeding, which are not inferior to the best foreign analogues, is the most important element of innovative potato production technology. However, the promotion of new breeding achievements included in the State Register of the Russian Federation is carried out at an extremely slow pace, despite the fact that the natural and climatic conditions of many regions of our country allow us to consider them as promising for organizing the production of seed potatoes. For this reason, large commodity producers continue to purchase a significant amount of seed material of foreign varieties, primarily from European breeding and seed companies, for further reproduction in Russia. Overcoming the steady downward trend in the share of domestic potato varieties and dependence on seed imports is possible if the competitiveness of newly created varieties increases and the production of certified seed material increases.
With the development of industrial processing, a problem arose in the lack of raw materials with the necessary properties - there are practically no special varieties, and the available ones recommended for food production have not been sufficiently studied. The growing area also has a significant impact on, for example, the quality of crisp potatoes. To the greatest extent, the valuable economic characteristics of potatoes depend on the conditions of the growing season.
The quality requirements for tubers for processing vary according to the target product. Of great importance are anatomical, morphological, biochemical, and organoleptic indicators. Therefore, the development of special varieties that are most suitable for creating semi-finished and ready-to-eat foods, as well as for use for technical purposes, is relevant.
When breeding special varieties for processing into potato products, special requirements are imposed on the content of dry matter (20-25%) and reducing sugars (0,2-0,5%), which determine the quality of the finished product.
For industrial processing, the most suitable tubers are round, rounded and rounded to oblong-oval, as this facilitates the sorting of potatoes, reduces waste during their cleaning and mechanical damage, and increases the yield of standard products. For the production of crisp potatoes (chips), mature potatoes with a dry matter content of at least 17% are needed from August to September, at least 20 ... 24% for the rest of the year, density - 720 kg / m3 . The content of reducing sugars is not more than 0,25%, their uniform distribution throughout the volume of the tuber. Potatoes should not appreciably accumulate reducing sugars during storage and quickly reduce the level of reducing sugars to usable levels during reconditioning after low temperature storage. Mature potatoes are needed to produce french fries. The shape of the tubers is oblong, round-oval, leveled with shallow ocelli. Length - 50 mm or more. Solids content - from 20 to 24%, reducing sugars - the same as for crispy potatoes, density - 720 kg / m3. Potato varieties are used, the tubers of which do not have non-enzymatic darkening of the pulp after peeling, roasting, during freezing and after thawing. Potatoes should not noticeably accumulate reducing (reducing) sugars during storage and quickly reduce their level to acceptable values during reconditioning after low-temperature storage.
Of great importance in the production of potato products is the content of reducing sugars in tubers, which are strong oxidizing agents and, when interacting with amino compounds, ammonia or simple peptides, form dark brown melanoidin compounds with a ruby tint, affecting the quality of the products obtained. The content of reducing sugars in tubers is a varietal trait, however, this indicator does not remain constant and varies depending on the conditions of growing, storage and maturity of the tubers.
List of literature sources used:
1. Zhevora, S.V. Potatoes: problems and prospects / S.V. Zhevora, B.V. Anisimov, E.A. Simakov, E.V. Oats, S.N. Zebrin // Potatoes and vegetables. - 2019. - No. 7. - p. 13-17.
2. Zemtsova, M.A. Technological assessment of potato varieties for suitability for processing into crispy potatoes and french fries / M.A. Zemtsova, I.I. Timofeeva // Protection of potatoes. - 2011. - No. 1. - S. 17-20.
3. Pshechenkov, K.A. Consumer qualities of tubers and crispy potatoes depending on the variety, growing conditions and storage / K.A. Pshechenkov, O.N. Davydenkova // Issues of potato growing. Scientific tr. VNIIKH. - M., 2003. - S. 90-99.