Efficacy of isopropyl - n (3-chlorophenyl) carbamate (CIPC) on storage behaviour and processing quality of potato cultivars in Punjab

Abstract

A study was conducted in Punjab, India, to evaluate the efficacy of isopropyl-n (3-chlorophenyl) carbamate (CIPC) on storage stability and processing quality of potato (Solanum tuberosum) cultivars. Fully cured, uniform sized tubers of 'Diamond' and 'LR', packed in 50 kg plastic netted bags, were stored at 11°C (with CIPC) and at 2°C (without CIPC) at 85-90% relative humidity for 6 months in a commercial cold store. CIPC was applied as a post-harvest fogging treatment on stored potatoes. Cultivar 'LR' had higher dry matter content compared to cultivar 'Diamond'. Specific gravity which is a measure of potato solids was also higher in 'LR' compared to 'Diamond'. This might be due to higher percentage of dry matter content in cultivar 'LR'. Physiological weight loss of potato tubers increased during storage, irrespective of the cultivars and storage temperatures. Average weight loss in stored tubers ranged 2.28% at 2°C and 4.05% at 11°C. Storage exerted a significant effect on the dry matter content of stored potato tubers, regardless of cultivars and storage temperature. There was a marginal increase in the dry matter content of cold stored potato tubers (2°C). However, the rise was higher in tubers stored at higher temperature (11°C). The total and reducing sugars content increased significantly during storage, irrespective of the cultivars and storage temperatures. The initial mean total and reducing sugars content in potato tubers ranged 0.50% and 0.17% respectively, which increased consistently to 4.55% and 3.21% at 2°C and 2.62 and 0.54 at 11°C respectively, after 6 months of storage. Storage exerted a significant influence on the protein content of potato cultivars stored at low temperature (2°C) while there was no considerable change in protein content of potato cultivars stored at higher temperature (11°C). Protein content of tubers declined by 8.08% and 1.28% during storage at 2 and 11°C, respectively.