Location: Small Grain and Food Crops Quality Research
Project Number: 3060-21430-009-005-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 1, 2021
End Date: Dec 31, 2024
Objective:
To investigate agronomic and post-harvest management practices impacting potato tuber physiological maturity and post-harvest storage quality among new potato variety selections.
Approach:
The cooperator will evaluate tuber specific gravity on all samples by the weight in air/weight in water test method. Tuber internal defects including hollow heart, vascular discoloration, heat necrosis will be monitored across all management sampling points. Water loss, dormancy (sprouting), and bruising notes will be recorded at pre-determined storage temperatures and durations. For sugar and fry analysis, tuber samples (12-20 tubers) are washed, cut in half transversely, and a sub-sample is removed from the center of each tuber half to yield 200 g tissue. After homogenizing in phosphate buffer, the sample brei is clarified for 1 hour at 4°C. Sucrose and glucose concentrations are measured using the YSI 2900D immobilized enzyme analyzer. A ‘raw fry’ test will be used to evaluate fry processing quality where 22.2 x 7.9 mm lengthwise potato planks collected from 10-15 tubers/treatment, and planks are batch fried at 190°C for 3.5 minutes. Immediately after frying, photovolt % reflectance (Photovolt, 577, 5G) and plank photos will be collected in a Photosimile 200 lightbox. Sugar, fry color and plank defects of numbered breeding lines will be compared against commercial variety checks.
