Potato storage management
Main storage systems are: natural ventilated stores, clamps, diffuse light stores, cold stores.
Seed potato storage management
For refrigerated stores:
- bring only sound potatoes into the store
- keep the potatoes at 12-15 oC during the first 2 weeks of storage and then lower the temperature to 3 oC
- keep temperature at 3 oC and avoid temperature fluctuations
- inspect bins daily and record the temperatures
- make a good delivery plan and avoid that potatoes are warmed up too long before delivery
- in case potatoes start sprouting and delivery is delayed, bring storage temperature back
to 2 - 4 oC
For naturally ventilated stores:
- store potatoes temporarily (for two weeks) in a shaded place (covered with straw) to allow for
disease symptoms to develop
- sort and grade potatoes thorough before storage
- only bring sound potatoes into the storage bins
- when problems with tuber moth is expected, dust seed potatoes with safe pesticides
- check potatoes regularly, at least once a week
Pre-storage treatment of seed with chemicals
In certain cases seed potatoes are treated with chemicals at the time of loading the store, this to reduce the spread of Fusarium spp., Phoma exigua, Helminthosporium solani and tuber moth.
CHEMICAL TUBER TREATMENT
Consumer potatoes storage management
For refrigerated stores:
- bring only sound potatoes into the store
- keep the potatoes at 12-15 oC during the first 2 weeks of storage and then lower the temperature to 3-4 oC (for cooking potatoes) or 6-8 oC (for potatoes used in the processing industry)
- keep temperature at a constant temperature and avoid temperature fluctuations
- inspect bins daily and record the temperatures
- make a good delivery plan and warm up the potatoes to 15 oC before unloading, sorting, grading and delivery