Agronomic strategies in extra-seasonal potato quality production

The extra-seasonal production of potatoes is a typical crop of south Italy where the mild climate conditions allow both the early sowing in February with harvest in June and the late summer sowing (August) with harvest in winter (December). Nitrogen management, together with other agronomic techniques, can influence tuber quality and, consequently, the market and culinary destination of the product. With this aim two field trial were performed in Mirto-Crosia (CS) in order to evaluate the influence of three different times of Nitrogen fertilization on the winter sowing crop and three levels of Nitrogen on the summer sowing crop. Produced tubers were analysed (panel test) in order to define their quality and culinary destination. The different Nitrogen management appears to influence tuber quality and seems to have also a primary role concerning the onset of off-flavours in the cooked product