Do you want to know what is the Potato cold storage project cost? You are here at the right place.
Scarring and suberization are necessary for the formation of good skin capable of reducing water loss and the risk of rotting. When the potatoes are dry and in good condition, pre-storage begins shortly after the warehouse is filled.
Bring the temperature of the pile to 13-15.5 C, and keep it there for 10-14 days with a relative humidity of 92-97%. It may be necessary to extend the pre-storage of processing potatoes from 4 to 5 weeks to improve color, perform color tests on samples every week during this pre-stocking period.
Limit ventilation to one or two hours per day, which is sufficient to ensure a good supply of fresh air without changing the ambient conditions. The humidifier must operate during ventilation. Get in touch with us to know about the Potato cold storage project cost.
Affected potatoes:
Very hot (over 20 C) or very cold (less than 7 C) potatoes in storage should be cooled or reheated at 2 to 3 C per day to pre-storage temperature. The humidifier may be on during this period when the tubers are dry and free from disease. This is especially important when the weather is hot and dry at harvest, as the risk of black spot and subsequent Fusarium wilt infection is greatest.
When there is a risk of soft rot due to late blight, frost, pink eyes, blackleg, or excess moisture, the potatoes must first be dried. Without running the humidifier, ventilate the pile with dry air until the risk of loss is gone, which takes several weeks or even months in some cases.
When the crop has been severely damaged by frost or disease, reduce the temperature of the pile to 8 or 9 C and keep it there for three to four weeks before cooling it again to 3 or 4 C.
The low temperature prevents the spread of pathogenic organisms and improves drying. (Note: For processing potatoes, a choice must be made between the loss of color caused by the low temperatures and the risk of rotting at the higher temperature that is required to preserve color. Consult with your potato specialist.)
Finally, remember that there are various potential problems to be reckoned with every year. It is therefore prudent to continuously ventilate the warehouse for a few days before storage, time to assess the quality of the crop, and to create uniform conditions in the pile. The humidifier can operate during ventilation when the crop is in good enough condition, otherwise, it is kept closed. Call us and know about the Potato cold storage project cost.
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Cooling and storage period:
Once pre-storage is complete, the cooling rate and final storage temperature of the potatoes depending on the intended use of the crop.
Seeds:
Gradually lower the temperature of the warehouse by 1 C per day or every other day, to the level of 3 to 4 C. Faster cooling can cause stress and shorten the dormant period of tubers. It is important to maintain the final storage temperature after reaching it.
It is recommended to wait until all risk of hot weather has passed before cooling the warehouse, rather than lowering the temperature immediately after pre-storage and risking a period of heat raising the temperature, as temperature fluctuations also help to shorten the length of dormancy.
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Consumption:
Lower the temperature by 1 C every three to four days to the storage temperature of 4.5 to 5.5 C. Cooling too quickly causes stress and excessive accumulation of sugars in the tubers, which can affect the quality of cooking and consumption.
Transformation:
Potatoes intended for processing must be treated in a special way. It is essential to prevent the formation of sugars and to avoid a reduction in processability.
These tubers should first be cooled slowly, around 1 C per week, as rapid cooling often causes the build-up of sugars. The temperature of the warehouse should not be lower than 7.2 C for potatoes intended for short or medium-term processing.
Those that will be shipped before Christmas for making French fries can be stored at 10 C. Tubers that will be made into chips can be stored at a slightly higher temperature, between 10 and 12 C.
When storage can be extended until early May, tubers for potato chips and French fries can be stored at 8-10 C, which normally avoids senescent sweetening.
If the color deteriorates, reconditioning for 4 to 6 weeks at 13 to 15.5 C corrects the problem in part. Potatoes that must be processed in the summer (May to July) can be stored at a temperature below 10 C.
To keep the tubers in the best possible condition, it may be advantageous to lower the temperature in the store until ‘at 4 to 5 C, to maintain this temperature until the beginning of May, then gradually warm the storage cells to a temperature of 13 to 15.5 C four to six weeks before shipment.
