Chemistry & Biodiversity RESEARCH ARTICLE Genotype, Environment, and Heavy Metals: Variability of the Content of Elements in 40 Potato Varieties From Central-Eastern Poland Barbara Sawicka 1 Piotr Pszczółkowski 2 Mohammed Messaoudi 3, 4 Dominika Skiba 1 Piotr Barbaś 5 Barbara Krochmal-Marczak 6 Ali Hulail Noaema 7 1 Department of Plant Production Technology and Commodities Science, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland 2 Experimental Station for Cultivar Assessment of Central Crop Research Centre, Uhnin, Poland 3 Nuclear Research Centre of Birine, Ain Oussera, Djelfa, Algeria 4 Chemistry Department, University of Hamma Lakedra El-Oued, El-Oued, Algeria 5 Department of Potato Agronomy, Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute-National Research Institute, Branch of Jadwisin, Jadwisin, Serock, Poland 6 Department of Food Production and Safety, National Academy of Applied Sciences, Krosno, Poland 7 Department of Field Crops, Agriculture College, Al-Muthanna University, Samawah, al Muthanna, Iraq Correspondence: Barbara Sawicka (barbara.sawicka@up.lublin.pl) Received: 16 December 2024 Revised: 20 January 2025 Accepted: 20 January 2025 Funding: The authors received no specific funding for this work. Keywords: cadmium (Cd) | chrome (Cr) | cobalt (Co) | heavy metal | lead (Pb) | nickel (Ni) | phenotypic variability | potato cultivars | strontium (Sr) ABSTRACT This study investigates the accumulation of toxic heavy metals (HMs)—cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and strontium (Sr)—in potato tubers grown under diverse meteorological and soil conditions in Central-Eastern Poland. Conducted from 2021 to 2023 at the Variety Assessment Experimental Station in Uhnin on light acidic soil, the field experiment employed a randomized block design with three replications. Forty potato cultivars of varying maturity were evaluated, with agronomic practices adhering to GAP and uniform fertilization applied. Potato tubers were exposed to thermal neutron flux for 2 h. Gamma radiation detection was conducted using a high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector cooled with liquid nitrogen to enhance resolution. The study highlights significant phenotypic variability in HM accumulation, influenced by genetic, environmental, and genotype × environment interaction factors. Results showed substantial effects of cultivar, year, and their interactions, with varieties (V) accounting for 8.7%–36.2% of the variance, environmental factors (Y) contributing 41.2%–82.2%, and genotype × environment interactions (V × Y) ranging from 5.5% to 46.7%. Year-to-year variability was most pronounced for lead, whereas nickel showed the least variability. Soil pH and humus played a key role in shaping the bioavailability and accumulation of metals in potato tubers. 1 Introduction The potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a globally significant crop, essential for agriculture and food security, with widespread culti- vation in the world. With the rapid economic development, heavy metal (HM) pollution and the area and degree of contamination are increasing, posing a serious threat to agricultural production safety and human health. Metal types, namely, cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), and strontium (Sr), pose a threat to food quality and consumer health. These metals are major agricultural contaminants that pose a significant risk to human health [1]. Presented the mechanisms plants use to limit the absorption and accumulation of HMs, as well as the genotypic differences © 2025 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland Chemistry & Biodiversity, 2025; 0:e202403337 https://doi.org/10.1002/cbdv.202403337 1 of 25