International Journal of Horticulture 2015, Vol.5, No.13, 1
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Figure 1 Percentage tuber weight loss in cold storage
Figure 2. Percentage tuber weight loss in the DLS
Figure 3 Percentage tuber weight loss after 16 weeks of storage
in cold store and DLS
probably be due to low respiration activities caused by
low temperatures and low evaporation occasioned to
high relative humidity in the cold store.
Percentage tuber weight loss between cold stored and
DLS stored potatoes were almost similar 16 weeks
after storage (Figure 3). However, after eight month
storage, the potato vareities in the DLS were generally
unacceptable as seed while the opposite was true for
cold stored materials (Figure 4). This contradiction
could have occurred in the later months of storage
Figure 4 Mean acceptability scores of potato varieties after 8
months storage in DLS and cold store at KARI-Tigoni. Scores
below 5 (dotted line) were unacceptable
Figure 5 Tuber yields (ton/ha) of potato varieties planted during
the 2012 long rains season
since percentage weight loss was determined for the
first 16 weeks only. It is possible that low relative
humidity and high temperature later during storage
could have accerelated shrinking of the tubers in the
DLS. This is contrary to the controlled conditions in
the cold room.
In the field, all varieties from both cold store and DLS
had achieved 100% emergence 45 days after planting.
Tubers stored in DLS emerged faster than the cold-stored
ones. In addition, emergence varied with variety:
Dutch Robjin, Tigoni and Asante emerged faster than
the other varieties. The cold-stored tubers were
generally very cold (4
0
C) and therefore took long to
adapt to the field conditions hence longer time to
emergence. In addition, cold-stored tubers had few
long weak sprouts. These sprouts normally break
during planting; the tubers have to resprout again
hence taking longer to emerge. Therefore, cold-stored
seed potato tubers need careful handling to prevent
sprout breakage.
There were significant (P≤ 0.05) differences among
potato varieties, between the storage methods and in
variety x storage interaction in terms of total tuber
