THE EFFECT OF LONG TERM STORAGE ON PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF POTATO

Abstract

Determination of physical and chemical properties of products such as potato in the long term storage and their variations is one of the significant specifications in terms of consumer preference and reaching high product quality. Therefore, it is a significant issue to know the changes that may occur on quality and physiological values of potato in the long term storage as much as its cultivation and breeding. With this research, the physical properties such as weight loss and the chemical properties such as specific gravity, dry matter, starch, protein contents and chips efficiencies were determined at the end of storage period of potato cultivars (Binella, Granola, Banba, Natascha, Toscana, Slaney and Marfona). The experiment was established as completely randomized designs with three replicates in 2013 and 2014 years . At the end of storage period, significant differences were determined among the potato cultivars according to the changes that occurred on physical and chemical properties of potato tubers. The weight loss was determined on all cultivars at the end of storage. The chemical properties of some potato cultivars increased while decreasing at some of them. The changes at the rates of -2.03% in terms of weight, 0.06% in terms of specific gravity, -1.46% dry matter, 2.95% starch, 7.85% protein and -5.43% were determined in accordance with the general average of potato cultivars at the end of storage. Consequently, it was determined that there were increased and decreased on specific gravity, starch, protein, dry matter and chips efficiency among the chemical properties along with that these changed in accordance with the cultivars at the potatoes which were stored in the long term (24 weeks) controlled conditions. The results of studies presented that the physical and chemical changes occurred on the tubers in the long term storage depend on the potato cultivars.