Assuring Potato Tuber Quality during Storage: A Future Perspective

Abstract

Potatoes represent an important staple food crop across the planet. Yet, to maintain tuber quality and extend availability, there is a necessity to store tubers for long periods often using industrial-scale facilities. In this context, preserving potato quality is pivotal for the seed, fresh and processing sectors. The industry has always innovated and invested in improved post-harvest storage. However, the pace of technological change has and will continue to increase. For instance, more stringent legislation and changing consumer attitudes have driven renewed interest in creating alternative or complementary post-harvest treatments to traditional chemically reliant sprout suppression and disease control. Herein, the current knowledge on biochemical factors governing dormancy, the use of chlorpropham (CIPC) as well as existing and chemical alternatives, and the effects of pre- and post-harvest factors to assure potato tuber quality is reviewed. Additionally, the role of genomics as a future approach to potato quality improvement is discussed. Critically, and through a more industry targeted research, a better mechanistic understanding of how the pre-harvest environment influences tuber quality and the factors which govern dormancy transition should lead to a paradigm shift in how sustainable storage can be achieved.

A member of the TERMINAL FLOWER 1/CENTRORADIALIS gene family controls sprout growth in potato tubers

“…In view of the effects on sprout growth, the effects of CEN expression manipulation on gibberellin levels would be of particular interest. Auxin and strigolactones are also implicated in dormancy release (reviewed in Alamar et al , 2017) and so further work on the CEN transgenic lines may clarify their potential roles in potato tuber dormancy release and sprouting.…”

“…Exogenous ethylene supplementation has been presented as an alternative sprout suppressant method as, although it terminates endodormancy, it prolongs ecodormancy and inhibits sprout elongation (Foukaraki et al ., 2016 a , b ). Other chemical treatments have also been identified for the control of tuber sprouting (reviewed in Alamar et al , 2017), but currently there is limited adoption.…”

Starchy Carbohydrates in a Healthy Diet: The Role of the Humble Potato

“…Storing potatoes at lower temperatures further inhibits sprout production, but increases reducing sugar content, which is not desirable for potatoes destined for frying as the sugars take part in the Maillard reaction, which is responsible for the browning of potatoes when fried at high temperatures. Higher amounts of reducing sugars result in an overly-brown end-product, with increased amounts of acrylamide [ 52 ]. In one study carried out in Sweden, storage of potatoes for five months, resulted in a 60% decrease in vitamin C and a 20% increase in vitamin B6 content, with no difference in the amounts of potassium, thiamin or other vitamins and minerals [ 53 ].…”

Effects of Physical, Mechanical and Hormonal Treatments of Seed-Tubers on Bud Dormancy and Plant Productivity

“…As expected, U-T7 treatment (undisturbed + cut in half) resulted in a lower content of ABA and in vigorous sprouting activity. At this regard, Otroshy and Struik [47] explained that the cutting of seed-tuber causes the break of dormancy as a consequence of the breakage of apical dominance.…”