Effect of ventilation strategy on storage quality indicators of processing potatoes with different maturity levels at harvest

Ventilation management and the tuber maturity at harvest are essential factors in maintaining potato quality during long-term storage. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of ventilation strategy on storage quality of potato tubers with three different maturity levels at harvest. Two potato cultivars, Saturna and Asterix, were stored in small-scale experimental stores and large-scale commercial stores. Both storage categories were ventilated by both low continuous air rates (natural ventilation) and intermittent high air rates (forced ventilation). The different maturity levels were obtained by a combination of pre-sprouting strategy, planting date and level of nitrogen fertilization of the seed tubers, where pre-sprouting, early planting date and low amount of nitrogen resulted in the most mature tubers. Storage quality parameters investigated during and after long-term storage (6 months in small-scale and 4 months in large-scale stores) included weight loss, respiration, dry matter, sucrose, glucose/fructose content and fry colour. In average over three years natural ventilation resulted in higher weight losses in small- and large-scale stores (1.36 and 3.93%), lower content of reducing sugars (glucose + fructose) in large-scale stores (2.35 mg g−1) and lighter fry colour than did forced ventilation. Immature potatoes had higher weight losses (4.16%), higher respiration rates (1.68 mg CO2 kg−1 h−1) and lower dry matter content (22.3–22.5%) than more mature potatoes. This study show that both maturity and ventilation strategy affects storage quality of potatoes as measured by weight loss, sugar content and fry colour.