The aim of the study was to assess the effect of soil type and the application of fertilizer composed of ashes from biomass combustion to potatoes on selected physicochemical, rheological, and thermal properties of potato starches isolated by using the laboratory method. Potatoes were grown in Haplic Luvisol (HL) and Gleyic Chernozem (GC) soil and fertilized with different doses of biomass combustion ash (D1−D6) with different mineral contents. The thermodynamic characteristics of gelatinization and retrogradation were identified by DSC. The analyses of rheological properties included the determination of the gelatinization characteristics by using the RVA method, flow curves, and assessment of the viscoelastic properties of starch gels. It was found that the starches tested contained from 24.7 to 29.7 g/100 g d.m. amylose, and the clarity of 1% starch pastes ranged from 59% to 68%. The gelatinization characteristics that were determined showed statistically significant differences between the starches analyzed in terms of the tested factors. The value of maximum viscosity and final viscosity varied, respectively, in the range of 2017−2404 mPa·s and 2811−3112 mPa·s, respectively. The samples of the potato starches studied showed a non-Newtonian flow, shear thinning, and the phenomenon of thixotropy. After cooling, the starch gels showed different viscoelastic properties, all of which were weak gels (tan δ = G″/G′ > 0.1).
Keywords: ash biomass; fertilization; potato; rheological properties; starch; thermal properties.