Scientific Storage Technology of Potato

How to scientifically store fresh potatoes for seed, edible and processing use is a key link in prolonging the potato industry chain. Through scientific storage, it can not only adjust market supply and demand, but also increase value by 20% to 30%. Through in-depth investigation and production practice, the author discussed the current storage situation, existing problems and scientific storage methods of potato in Weichang County.

I. current situation of potato storage in paddock

Although paddock farmers have the habit of storing potatoes and have accumulated rich storage experience, there are also many storage technical problems. There are more than 100,000 self-regulating temperature and humidity potato cellars in the county, with annual storage of more than 200 million kilograms of fresh potatoes. In general, the temperature in the cellar in winter and spring is kept at 3: 4 ℃ and the humidity is 85% and 95%. The storage period is from September to April of the following year. The storage period is about 200 days. According to the survey, 60% of the farmers have better storage. The loss is less than 10%, and the best loss is no more than 5%, indicating that the potato storage technology of farmers in Weichang County has reached a certain level.

Second, the problems and analysis in storage

Mixed storage regardless of use. Some farmers have only one cellar in their homes, and edible potatoes, seed potatoes, commercial potatoes and processed potatoes are mixed and stored in one cellar, which not only causes the degradation of varieties and the spread of pathogens, but also is disadvantageous to the commerciality of commercial potatoes, the quality of edible potatoes and the processing value of processed potatoes.

The quality of cellar entry can not be guaranteed. The quality of entering the cellar refers to the requirement of intact potato pieces, dry potato skin, no disease spot, no rot, no frost damage, no wound, no soil and other impurities. When harvesting into the cellar, some farmers do not go through drying, selection, mixing of soil and potatoes, mixing of diseased and residual potatoes into the cellar, or dumping injured potatoes from the mouth of the pit into the cellar, artificially damaging the potatoes, and so on. Resulting in high humidity in the cellar, poor ventilation, meet the conditions for the reproduction and transmission of bacteria, rotten the cellar, increase the loss, but also easy to cause early germination of potato.

Improper management during storage. Some farmers follow the bad habit of "natural management" and seal the cellar strictly, opening the cellar mouth again when they come out of the cellar in spring, without checking and ventilating, resulting in frozen cellar, rotten cellar, heat injury, sprouting, black heart and other phenomena, resulting in significant economic losses. Some are afraid of freezing, pay attention to heat preservation, not ventilated during storage, potato block breathing produces a lot of carbon dioxide, first, the normal breathing of potato blocks is blocked, buds are suffocated, affecting seedling emergence. Second, people immediately enter the cellar to cause suffocation, resulting in personal accidents.

The construction of potato cellar is unscientific. First, the water table is high, the humidity in the cellar is high, and even the water comes out. Some positions are overcast and tuyere. Second, the top of the pit is covered with thin soil and shallow cellar, resulting in frost damage. Third, the setting of ventilation holes and ventilation ducts is unreasonable or not, and the temperature, humidity and gas exchange in the cellar are blocked.

Suggestions on the improvement of storage methods

Do a good job in the treatment of potato cubes before entering the cellar. To achieve "one job and six nothing". That is, the potato skin is dry, disease-free, no rotten potato, no wound, no broken skin, no frozen block, no soil and other impurities.

The quality of winter storage is protected in the field. The disease spot and rotten potato are the biggest hidden danger of rotten cellar. Most of the rotten potatoes before entering the cellar were caused by late blight in the field. Therefore, timely prevention and control of late blight is the most effective technical measure to reduce rotten potatoes. In addition, it can improve the aging degree of potato skin and enhance its ability of protection and anti-injury. In agronomy, the aging of potato skin can be achieved by pressing seedlings before harvest, cutting seedlings, spraying sterilized herbicides, delaying harvest and so on.

Separate cellar storage. To achieve sub-variety, sub-grade, sub-use single cellar (room) storage. Generally speaking, each household should build more than two storage cellars or more rooms in one cellar to ensure the species and commerciality of stored potatoes.

Strengthen the management of storage period and create the best storage environment and conditions. Suitable storage temperature and humidity: seed potato and edible potato 3-4 ℃, processed potato 7-8 ℃, relative humidity about 90%, safety range 80%-90%. Change the past winter regardless of regular inspection, find problems and deal with them in time. The principle is "anti-freezing and anti-heat, that is, anti-wet and anti-dry". According to the storage period, it is necessary to "prevent heat at both ends and cold in the middle". The specific measure is to adjust the temperature and humidity by ventilation and outgassing.

Improve the construction structure of storage cellar and increase the ability of regulation and control. It is mainly to increase the natural ventilation facilities and gradually use the forced ventilation equipment. According to the economic strength, we can build a large and medium-sized modern storage cellar with cement and masonry structure of fan, main air duct and distributor.