Carrots (Daucus carota L.) are a globally important vegetable crop providing a source of important nutritional compounds through their carotenoid content whilst adding flavour and texture to many diets across the world. The current research focuses on the evaluation of sugars, vitamin C and dietary fibre content in ‘Nante’ hybrid carrots. The research was accomplished on fresh in Latvia cultivated carrots harvested in Zemgale region in the first part of October 2011 and immediately used for experiments. Late-bearing hybrids of ‘Nante’ carrots were used for analysis: Nante/ Berlikum, Nante/Maestro, Nante/Forto, Nante/Bolero, and Nante/Champion. The major sugars (fructose, glucose and sucrose) were determined by applying the method of high performance liquid chromatography, vitamin C - by titration with 0.05 M iodine solution, and dietary fibre - using standard method No 985.29. In the present experiments it was found that there are significant differences in the sugar, vitamin C and dietary fibre content between different carrot hybrids. The highest content of total sugars was found in Nante/Maestro and Nante/Champion 7.99 g 100 gE-1 and 7.57 g 100 gE-1 hybrids in fresh weight, respectively. The lowest total sugars content was in Nante/Berlikum hybrid − 4.03 g 100 gE-1. Vitamin C content in carrot hybrid Nante/Maestro was the highest 17.61±0.17 mg 100 gE-1, but in hybrid Nante/Champion - the lowest 8.39±0.17 mg 100 gE-1 of fresh weight. The dietary fibre content in analysed carrot samples ranged from 34.25±0.47 g 100 gE-1 in Nante/Maestro to 25.78±1.54 g 100 gE-1 in Nante/Champion hybrids.

The objective of the current research was to investigate effects of germination on chemical composition of hull-less barley (Hordeum vulgare L. var. nudum Hook. f.), hull-less oat (Avena sativa), rye (Secale spp.), and wheat (Triticum spp.) grains for comparison. All the grains were cleaned, washed, steeped and germinated at temperature 35 ± 2 °C and relative humidity 95 ± 2% for 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours. After germination grains were dried till moisture content 14 ± 2%. Main quality parameters such as starch, proteins, b-glucan (in hull-less barley) and individual sugars were determined in cereals during their steeping and germination. Non-germinated grains were used as a control sample. In the present experiments non-significant protein content increase was observed in the analysed hull-less barley, hull-less oat, rye, and wheat during their germination for 48 hours. Starch content in hull-less barley, wheat and rye grains decreased non-significantly during germination for 24 h; opposite results were obtained for hull-less oat grains, where content of starch decreased by 16.7% after steeping and by 26.4% after germination for 24 h. b-glucan content in hull-less barley grains after germination for 48 h decreased by 20.5%. Non-significant changes were obtained in fructose content in analysed cereal grains during germination for 48 h; it was significantly increased after germination for 24 h and in germination for 48 h. Non-significant sucrose content changes were observed in hull-less barley, rye and wheat grains during germination for 12 h and in hull-less oat grains – for 24 h significantly increasing in future germination for 48 h.

The present study provides research in content of protein, starch, sugars and concentration of B group vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine and niacin) in immature wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) compared to mature wheat kernels. The content of protein, starch was determined in kernels using Infratec1241 Grain Analyzer (Sweden), content of sugars was analysed by high- efficiency liquid chromatography HPLC (Shimadzu, Japan). The concentrations of vitamins were determined by high-efficiency liquid chromatography for vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6. Obtained results suggested that the immature wheat kernels obtained in milk stage showed higher contents of some compounds such as sugars and B group vitamins. The amount of all sugars presented in immature grains is higher and decreased uniformly during maturation. Therefore, immature grains are better sources of the B group vitamin that the mature grains, and therefore more nutritionally efficacious.

The effect of different fertilizer backgrounds on the potato yield and its chemical composition of different varieties, destined for processing into chips, was investigated at the Elmininkai Research Station of the Lithuanian Institute of Agriculture in 2000. The investigation showed, that potato tuber yield depended on fertilization and genetic characteristics of the potato variety. The most productive potatoes of the following varieties were: early Voke (20,6-36,0) t ha*[-1) and medium late Saturna (27,0-35,4 t ha*[-1)).

The effect of different fertilisers and storage temperature on the content of reducing sugar in potatoes of different varieties, destined for processing into chips, was investigated at the Elmininkai Research Station of the Lithuanian Institute of Agriculture during the period 2000-2001. Five potato varieties belonging to different maturity groups were investigated: early 'Goda' and 'Voke', medium early 'Lady Rosetta', medium late 'Saturna' and 'Hermes'. Potatoes of all the investigated varieties were grown in the plots with different fertilisation: 1 - manure - 40 t ha*[-1), 2 - chopped straw+one-component mineral fertilisers at the rate of N45P45K90, 3 - one-component mineral fertilisers at the rate of N90P90K180, 4 - complex mineral fertilisers with microelements at the rate of N90P90K180. It was established that reducing sugar content in potato tubers depended on the genetic properties of the variety, storage temperature and fertilisation.