Transient heat stress during tuber development alters post‐harvest carbohydrate composition and decreases processing quality of chipping potatoes

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Adverse air and soil temperatures are abiotic stresses that occur frequently and vary widely in duration and magnitude. Heat stress limits productivity of cool-weather crops such as potato (Solanum tuberosum) and may degrade crop quality. Stem-end chip defect is a localized discoloration of potato chips that adversely affects finished chip quality. The causes of stem-end chip defects are poorly understood. RESULTS: Chipping potatoes were grown under controlled environmental conditions to test the hypothesis that stem-end chipdefect is caused by transient heat stress during the growing season. Heat stress periods with 35 ∘ C days and 29 ∘ C nights were imposed approximately 3 months after planting and lasted for 3, 7 or 14 days. At harvest and after 1, 2 and 3 months of storage at 13 ∘ C, potato tubers were evaluated for glucose, fructose, sucrose and dry matter contents at the basal and apical ends. Chips were fried and rated for defects at the same sampling times. Differences in responses to heat stress were observed among four varieties of chipping potatoes. Heat stress periods of 7 and 14 days increased reducing sugar content in the tuber basal and apical ends, decreased dry matter content, and increased the severity of stem-end chip defects. CONCLUSION: Transient heat stress during the growing season decreased post-harvest chipping potato quality. Tuber reducing sugars and stem-end chip defects increased while dry matter content decreased. Planting varieties with tolerance to transient heat stress may be an effective way to mitigate these detrimental effects on chipping potato quality.

Development of an in vitro Microtuberization and Temporary Immersion Bioreactor System to Evaluate Heat Stress Tolerance in Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.)

“…Different potato cultivars differ in their responses to heat stress (Levy, 1986;Chandra et al, 2000;Ahn et al, 2003;Figueiredo et al, 2016). The development of varieties with tolerance is an effective way to mitigate the detrimental effect of heat stress, whether it is transient or long-term (Bonnel, 2008;Demirel et al, 2017;Busse et al, 2018). To develop heat-tolerant potato varieties, we need to know the level of heat tolerance in potato genotypes and other relevant traits so we can select the best parents for the breeding program.…”

Ideal temperature and storage period for commercial potato cultivars selected for frying

“…et al, 2006;AMJAD et al, 2017b). Part of the starch in the tubers is converted during storage into sucrose and; subsequently, into glucose and fructose, darkening tubers at 6 ºC during (BUSSE et al, 2019). The grades 4 at 60 to 150 days and 5 at 180 days of the tubers of the cultivars Asterix and Cronos, respectively, stored at 6 °C, are due to the RA greater accumulation in these periods (RICHARDSON et al, 1990).…”

X-Ray CT Phenotyping Reveals Bi-Phasic Growth Phases of Potato Tubers Exposed to Combined Abiotic Stress

“…Depending on the timing of the occurrence of these disruptive environmental conditions, tuberization can be inhibited completely or tuber bulking can be disturbed (Tang et al, 2018). Furthermore, carbon partitioning can be altered by transient exposure of potato plants to heat stress leading to reduced starch and increased reducing sugar contents of tubers (Busse et al, 2019). We have seen a disturbance of tuber bulking which was confirmed by analysis of mRNA expression of SuSy4 as well as specific activity of SuSy, a marker for starch biosynthesis, in tuber samples.…”