Effect of the transition between ethylene and air storage on post-harvest quality in six UK-grown potato cultivars

Abstract

SummaryLong-term storage of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers provides year-round availability of the crop, but is limited by sprouting. Continuous exposure to ethylene during storage can prolong the storage-life of potato tubers by suppressing sprouting, yet there is little information on the effects of ethylene on a wide selection of common cultivars. Six different UK potato cultivars were stored at 6ºC for 30 weeks under continuous 10 µl l 1 ethylene treatment, under continuous air, or transferred from air to 10 µl l 1 ethylene at the first indication of sprouting, or vice versa. Fructose, glucose, and sucrose concentrations were determined in samples of tuber flesh and in potato skins. Texture and sprouting were measured after 30 weeks in cold storage. Ethylene applied at the first indication of sprouting was as effective at suppressing further sprouting in ‘Desiree’, ‘Sylvana’, and ‘Fianna’ as observed when ethylene was applied continuously and resulted in no additional ethylene-induced sugar accumulation. The texture data suggested that ethylene treatment had an indirect effect on tuber firmness through the inhibition of sprout growth only in ‘Sylvana’ potato tubers. The implications of these results are that the cost of ethylene application in cold-store rooms could be reduced by manipulating the timing of its application.