Variables Influencing the Stored Potatoes’ Health and Quality
As live, breathing, physiologically active organisms, potato tubers need optimal storage conditions to preserve their quality upon harvest. Growers must be aware of the variables influencing the health and quality of their tubers to store them successfully.
Typically, the first two to three weeks of storage are when potatoes lose the most weight. High rates of respiration, high moisture loss, and significant heat production take place during this time. Ensuring adequate suberization or wound healing is necessary to reduce the amount of shrinkage or weight loss during early storage.
“Basic structural requirements for potato storage include a) wall strength to resist the pressure of the potato, b) floor strength to support the load due to truck and equipment traffic c) insulation to reduce or prevent the insulation and structural framework and reduce moisture loss from the storage. In addition to the loads imposed on the building by the potatoes, it must also support other loads such as wind and snow. Ideal conditions are ventilated, cool temperatures, high humidity, and no light,” according to the ‘Design and management of post-harvest potato storage structures’ report.
After harvesting, potatoes should retain as much of their original quality as possible. Inadequate storage structures are the primary cause of product losses resulting from potato storage. This is because structural and environmental aspects connected to the product are disregarded when designing storage buildings. The temperature and relative humidity that could be necessary for storing the potato product must be ascertained to solve these issues. Furthermore, storage structure design must adhere to the established guidelines.
“Things to consider: structural (wall, wind, snow, product and floor loads), insulation (thermal requirement, fire retardant, and moisture removal systems), mechanical (ventilation, heating, and humidification systems), electrical and control systems. The entire storage period should help maintain quality. In this review, environmental conditions in storage, storage management, warehouse systems, and storage structures were investigated to minimize storage losses,” Hakan Kibar from Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University wrote in one of his papers.
Future processing, consumption, and seed reserve maintenance are the three basic goals of storage. It makes it possible to optimize output and consumption, make better use of processing capacity, and produce seed potatoes of higher quality. Potatoes and other arable goods fall under the category of semi-perishables or foods with a high inherent moisture content. Compared to cereals, these goods are more susceptible to quality loss because drying procedures cannot be used for conservation. Produce that has lost moisture eventually loses quality and is unmarketable. There is a risk of unacceptably high moisture loss, disease transmission, mold infections, and insect pests. Among the most important conservation parameters for this category of products are high relative humidity, low storage temperature, and air composition regulation.
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