Sustainable Potato Production - Guidelines for - FAO.org

necessary to prevent the entry of rotorganisms and to reduce water loss.Wound healing occurs most rapidlyat 15-18°C, with 95 percent humidity, andrequires 5-20 days.3Pile potatoes without refrigeration inseveral small piles rather than in onelarge heap. Large amounts tend to heatbecause ventilation cannot reach thecentre of the pile, thus lowering qualityand shortening storage life.3Never store potatoes in close proximityto fruit – hormones produced by ripeningfruits will cause the potatoes to sproutor rot prematurely.3Storing ware potatoes at a temperatureof less than 6°C stimulates the conversionof starch into sugars, giving the tubersan unnaturally sweet taste. Moreover,sugars will interact with free amino acidsduring frying, producing dark productswith poor taste.Potential areas of improvement3Promote improvements in harvesttechnologies to minimize bruising,improve tuber quality and storability.3Develop and promote low-cost storagetechnologies suitable to small-scale farmsin the tropics and subtropics.3Carry out ex-ante cost-benefit studies onsmall or large scale refrigerated storagecapacity.61KEY INDICATORSOFSUSTAINABILITY