EFFECT OF LIFTING TIME AND TUBER SIZE ON AMBIENT STORAGE PERFORMANCE OF POTATO DERIVED FROM TRUE POTATO SEED

Abstract

The present study was investigated on the natural storage performance of potato derived from TPS as affected by lifting period after haulm killing and tubers sizes. Five lifting period viz., L0 (0 days after haulm killing), L1 (3 days after haulm killing), L2 (6 days after haulm killing), L3 (9 days after haulm killing) and L4 (12 days after haulm killing) and 3 tuber size (small, medium and large) were used individual and combinedly as treatment for this study. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD) with 3 replications. The natural storage performance of tubers were influenced by lifting period and /or tuber size. Most of the post harvest parameters of tuber viz., dry matter content, weight loss, rotten tuber, total soluble solid content, days to sprout initiation, days to shriveling and apical sprout length showed better performance with increasing lifting period. Among the tuber sizes, small sized tubers showed better post harvest performance compared to those of large and medium. Among the lifting periods and tuber sizes, L3 (9 days after haulm killing) and small sized tuber showed better natural storage performance.