Cold Chain Management for Potatoes

Blog: Vijay Sardana Online
Presentation By:
Vijay Sardana
PGDM (IIM-A), M.Sc. (Food Tech.) (CFTRI), B.Sc. (Dairy Tech.), Justice (Harvard),
PG Dipl. in Int'l Trade Laws & Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) (ILI), LL. B (in Progress)
Specialized in Food & Consumers Laws, IPR & Contract Laws
Agribusinesses Value Chains, Commodity Markets & Innovation Management
Global Head – Food Security & Agribusinesses, UPL Group
Presentation at All India Cold Chain Seminar, Agra, India

• Long Shelf-life
• Minimum weight loss
• Minimum quality losses
• Maximum disease resistance
What should be the storage objective?

Why you store Potatoes in Cold Store?
• Respiration is, in a way, the opposite of photosynthesis.
• Energy stored in sugars is now released for use in
maintenance of the tuber.
• 6O2 + C6H1206 = 6CO2 + 6H2O + Energy (85% is heat)
• Oxygen + Glucose = Carbon Dioxide + Water
3

Key Points for Consideration to minimize losses
1.Input product quality
2.Optimal Storage Temperature
3.Chill Point
4.Optimal Humidity
5.Special precautions like sprouting
4

Where you loose money?

Potatoes: A delicate product
Factor Mechanism Stage Affected Resulting Loss
Mechanical
Rupture Harvest Moisture loss
Bruising Harvest, Transport, Storage
Access to pests and
diseases
Crushing Transport, Storage Total loss
Physiological
Transpiration All stages before processing Water loss
Respiration Dry matter loss
Sun scorch In field after lifting Tissue degradation
Greening Toxins (potatoes)
Chilling Cold storage Loss of palatability
Inversion of
starch
End of dormancy
Increased transpiration and
respiration
Sprouting Storage

Potatoes: A delicate product
Factor Mechanism Stage Affected Resulting Loss
Pathogenic
bacteria &
fungi
Necrosis and
tissue
degradation
Pre-harvest Partial to complete loss
Storage Downgrading
Insect
infestation
Boring &
Chewing
Pre-harvest Partial loss
Storage (fresh or
processed products)
Access for decay organisms
Rodent &
bird damage
Chewing Pre-harvest Partial loss
Pecking Storage Access for decay organisms

Disease & Defects of Potatoes

Quantitative Loss

• Poor design of layout
• Bad selection of machines & insulation
• Poor construction & insulation
• Improper monitoring of vital parameters
• Poor Layout – obstructing proper airflow
• Poor storage methods like bad stacking & Overloading
• Poor Management Practices
Excessive Electricity Use

• Electricity
• Quantity Loss
• Quality Loss
• Opportunity loss
• Business Loss
Factors responsible for losses

What you should do to minimize losses in
Cold Storage?
• Dry tuber surfaces
• Lower RH helps some
• Cool tubers quickly
• Watch temperature difference
• Manage humidity – condensation
• Keep air moving
- through the stack / pile
- over the stack / pile
12

What you should do to minimize losses in
Cold Storage?
• Cool rapidly after suberize
• Control temperature difference
• Don’t overcool early
• Holding conditions
4 C seed / table stock
95% relative humidity
• Fresh air every day – in a calibrated manner
• Will vary with physiological age
13

In case, you want to use Cold Storage for other crops or
want to step-up new store
1. Product
2. Optimal Storage Temperature
3. Chill Point
4. Freezing Point
5. Optimal Humidity
6. Top ice accepted or not
7. Water sprinkle accepted or not
8. Ethylene production
9. Sensitive to Ethylene
10. Approximate Storage Life
11. Special precautions
14

How to plan multi-product storage?
Needs Careful planning - Examples
Product
Storage
Temp
(°C)
Chill
Point
(°C)
Freezing
Point
(°C)
RH %
Top
Ice
Water
Sprinkle
Ethylene
production
Ethylene
Sensitive
Potatoes 7-10 3 - 90-95 N N No Yes
Orange 4-7 3 - 90-95 N N Very Low No
Banana
(Green)
17-21 13 - 85-95 N N Low Yes
Banana
(Ripe)
13-16 12 - 85-95 N N Medium No
Carrot 0 - -4.5 98-100 Y Y No
Yes
(bitterness)
Apple 0 to -4 - -4.5 90-95 N N High Yes
15

Thank You
You can also see this presentation on :
Twitter: @vijaysardana
16

• Soft rot (Erwinia carotovora) is
caused by a bacterium that enters
tubers through wounds or through
enlarged lenticels which result from
excess soil moisture and poor
aeration in the field.
• Soft rot frequently follows tuber
damage from frost or bruising and is
often a secondary invader following
other diseases such as late blight,
dry rot, and pink rot.
• The chief symptom is soft, watery
decay of the tuber initially appearing
as cavities in the tuber flesh. The
decay is often accompanied by a foul
smell. On non-russetted cultivars,
shallow, circular lesions appear
surrounding lenticels.
SOFT ROT
Prevention: Optimum temperatures
for the disease range from 15° C &
above. Temperatures below 7°C
inhibit growth but often tubers are
damaged before storage
temperatures can. be lowered.
Storage temperatures below 4°C
arrest development during storage.

Pink rot (Phytophthora erythroseptica and Pythium species) and leak are almost
identical diseases of tubers caused by closely related soil-borne fungi.
Pythium causes leak disease after entering through wounds or abrasions most
frequently associated with harvest during high temperatures. Phytophthora may
cause a basal stem rot and wilt in tops of plants in the fields, but pink rot disease
is primarily one of the tuber.
Phytophthora fungus invades through wounds and directly through the eyes of
the tuber. Symptoms of both diseases are similar. Characteristically, infected
tubers ooze liquid and the tissue becomes flaccid and rubbery. When cut, tubers
show a sharp line of demarcation between healthy and diseased tissue. Exposed,
affected tissue turns pink then gradually becomes black. As the disease
progresses, the tissue develops a granular, mushy rot. Infected tubers usually are
invaded by soft-rot bacteria. Growth of the pathogens in tubers is inhibited by low
storage temperatures and rapid reduction of storage temperature will prevent
spread in storage. The progress of the disease in tubers must be inhibited by
lowering the storage temperature below 40°F, or the disease will continue to
spread from tuber to tuber. Liquid leaked from infected tubers brings the fungus
propagules into contact with healthy tubers and the moisture, with higher
temperatures from the heat of fermentation caused by the pathogen and other
PINK ROT (WATER ROT) & LEAK

• Cause: The fungi (Fusarium solani, F.
roseum) that cause dry rot in
potatoes are present in most
cultivated soils.
• Characteristic symptoms : They are
sunken areas of brown, firm rot often
involving a large portion of the tuber.
The surface of the affected area is
sunken, wrinkled, and frequently with
blue or white protuberances.
• Reason: They are chiefly wound
parasites entering tubers through
cuts, abrasions, and bruises, or
lesions caused by other pathogens.
Infections most frequently occur at
harvest.
DRY ROT
• Prevention: Careful handling during
harvest and transport are essential to
minimize occurrence of dry rot.
• Dry rot pathogens are inhibited at
temperatures below 4° C, the fungi
becoming increasingly active at
temperatures above 8°C.

Cold Chain Management for Potatoes

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Cold Chain Management for Potatoes

Similar to Cold Chain Management for Potatoes (20)

More from VIJAY SARDANA

More from VIJAY SARDANA (14)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Cold Chain Management for Potatoes