Effect of packaging material and storage conditions on potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) microtuber storability.

An experiment was conducted at the ICAR-Central Potato Research Station, Gwalior (MP) during 2012-13 to study best packaging material and storage conditions for short term storage of potato microtubers of important varieties. Ten Micro tubers each of three popular varieties viz Kufri Sindhuri, Kufri Lauvkar and Kufri Chandramukhi (KCM) were packed in 5 packaging materials/ storage containers viz polythene without ventilation, polythene with ventilation, conical flask with cotton plug, conical flask with plastic cap and petri plates and kept in three storage condition viz ambient temperature, refrigerator (4°C) and plant growth chamber (3°C). After 45 days of storage of potato microtubers, at 5 per cent level of significance both percent overall weight loss and driage/ rottage was significantly low in polythene without ventilation (13.19 and 10.37 respectively) among packaging material and among storage conditions, at 5 per cent level of significance both percent overall weight loss and driage/ rottage was significantly low in growth chamber condition of 4°C (12.77 and 12.44 respectively) over other two storage conditions. Kufri Sindhuri recorded significantly lowest overall percent weight loss (17.95) and driage/ rottage (8.00) at 5 percent level of significance over KCM and Kufri Lauvkar. Kufri Sindhuri has better storability under growth chamber condition at 3°C in polythene without ventilation packaging up to 45 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]