The Effects of Temperature on the Quality and Storage Stalibity of Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas L. [Lam]) Grown in Central Europe

Abstract

The research focuses on the effects of temperature on the quality and storage stability of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L. [Lam]). It is based on the results of a field experiment conducted between 2015–2017 in Żyznów (49°49′ N, 21°50′ E). The experimental factors were: storage temperatures (5° and 15 °C) and sweet potato cultivars (‘Carmen Rubin’, ‘White Triumph’, ‘Beauregard’, ‘Satsumo Imo’, ‘Purple’). Tubers were harvested at BBCH stage 97. Tubers were stored in a climatic chamber with temperature control and fixed ambient humidity for 6 months during the 2015/16–2017/18 seasons. The storage of tubers at 15 °C helped reduce tuber waste and weight losses resulting from germination, transpiration, respiration and rotting. The quality of the stored tubers depended mostly on storage temperature. It was observed that at 15°, the content of dry matter and total sugars was higher than at 5°, whereas the content of starch was lower. The factor determining storage stability was the genetic features of the cultivars under study. The cultivars ‘Purple’ and ‘Satsumo Imo’ demonstrated good storage stability. The cultivar ‘Carmen Rubin’ turned out least suitable for long storage. The experiment results can contribute to developing storage technology of sweet potato tubers cultivated in Central Europe.