Method to prolong shelf-life of potato (Solanum tuberosum) micro-tubers under refrigerated condition

Abstract

The experiment was conducted at ICAR-Central Potato Research Station, Muthorai, Udhagamandalam, The Nilgiris during 2013–16 to test the effect of different bio-polymer coating materials on potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) micro-tubers for improving the storage life under refrigerated conditions. Potato micro-tubers (Kufri Swarna) produced through tissue culture technique were given coating with three different bio-polymers (chitosan, gelatin and chitin) in four different concentrations with three different coatings (single, double and triple layered) and stored under refrigerator (at 4°C) to see the effect of bio-polymers on shelf life of micro-tubers using completely randomized design (CRD). Among the chemicals and their concentrations tried, gelatin at 0.25% concentration with single layer coating was found effective in reducing the storage losses of micro-tubers considerably even up to 165 days storage. This treatment was also found effective in maintaining better stand establishment (58.97%) in the field with significantly higher yield (1.57 kg/m2) than the control and other treatments. Hence, gelatin can be used for coating of micro-tubers in order to enhance the shelf life up to a period of 165 days under refrigerated conditions.