Articles
Identifying the optimum postharvest storage and handling conditions for maintaining sweet potato slip quality
Article number
1364_54
Pages
425 – 436
Language
English
Abstract
Sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] is propagated through vegetative stem cuttings known as slips.
Many sweet potato growers are reliant on slips that are shipped from outside the region.
Transportation and storage conditions can result in low-quality slips that may perform poorly after being planted in the field.
The objective of this experiment was to identify the optimal storage and shipping conditions related to temperature and packaging for sweet potato slips. Orleans sweet potato slips were placed in waxed cardboard boxes with or without a perforated nylon-film liner and stored at 16, 22, and 30°C at 65% relative humidity.
Overall visual quality was evaluated with a rating scale that was developed, which rated slips from 1 to 9 (1 completely senesced to 9 field fresh slip). We also evaluated quality by monitoring water loss, chlorophyll fluorescence, respiration rate, color, and chlorophyll content through the storage.
Slips stored at 16°C with a liner had the longest shelf life and maintained marketable quality for just over 11.3 days.
Slips stored at 16°C without a liner lasted 10.6 days.
A similar trend was seen at the other temperatures and the slips that were stored at higher temperatures had lower shelf life.
At all temperatures, slips stored with the addition of a liner had significant lower water loss after 4 days of storage.
Slips stored at 16°C with a liner lost 3.6% water weight compared to 13.3% for slips stored without a liner (P<0.05). The results of this study show that storage temperature and the addition of a liner play critical roles in maintaining quality and freshness of sweet potato slips.
Sweet potato growers and propagators benefit from information related to the postharvest handling of slips with the goal of developing standardized practices for shipping and storage.
Many sweet potato growers are reliant on slips that are shipped from outside the region.
Transportation and storage conditions can result in low-quality slips that may perform poorly after being planted in the field.
The objective of this experiment was to identify the optimal storage and shipping conditions related to temperature and packaging for sweet potato slips. Orleans sweet potato slips were placed in waxed cardboard boxes with or without a perforated nylon-film liner and stored at 16, 22, and 30°C at 65% relative humidity.
Overall visual quality was evaluated with a rating scale that was developed, which rated slips from 1 to 9 (1 completely senesced to 9 field fresh slip). We also evaluated quality by monitoring water loss, chlorophyll fluorescence, respiration rate, color, and chlorophyll content through the storage.
Slips stored at 16°C with a liner had the longest shelf life and maintained marketable quality for just over 11.3 days.
Slips stored at 16°C without a liner lasted 10.6 days.
A similar trend was seen at the other temperatures and the slips that were stored at higher temperatures had lower shelf life.
At all temperatures, slips stored with the addition of a liner had significant lower water loss after 4 days of storage.
Slips stored at 16°C with a liner lost 3.6% water weight compared to 13.3% for slips stored without a liner (P<0.05). The results of this study show that storage temperature and the addition of a liner play critical roles in maintaining quality and freshness of sweet potato slips.
Sweet potato growers and propagators benefit from information related to the postharvest handling of slips with the goal of developing standardized practices for shipping and storage.
Authors
T. Jenkins, J. Rundquist, C.L. Rivard, J.J. Griffin, E.D. Pliakoni
Keywords
cuttings, transportation, Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam
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