STUDIES IN POTATO STORAGE: II. INFLUENCE OF (1) THE STAGE OF MATURITY OF THE TPBERS AND (2) THE STORAGE TEMPERATURE FOR A BRIEF DURATION IMMEDIATELY AFTER DIGGING, ON PHYSIOLOGICAL LOSSES IN WEIGHT OF POTATOES DURING STORAGE

Abstract

Tubers stored for 10–12 days at 18°C. lost considerably less weight during subsequent storage than those pre‐stored at 7°C. previous to permanent storage. This emphasizes the importance of pre‐storing potatoes for a brief duration at a higher temperature preparatory to permanent cold storage. In the adolescent tubers the loss in weight during storage is high and decreases with increasing maturity of the tubers, the value for the total loss being about the same in mature and ripe tubers. Although the magnitude of shrinkage during storage of mature and ripe potatoes is practically the same, the former are superior to the latter in that they keep longer in storage without sprouting. During storage the loss in weight of potatoes due to respiration is very small in comparison with that caused by evaporation of water. Copyright © 1938, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved