A Long-Term Look at Russet Burbank Potato Storage.

Russet Burbank, a dual-purpose potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) variety for French fry processing and fresh market, is the predominant variety grown and stored in the US. Its popularity for over 100 years is primarily due to the long-term storability and culinary quality. A 15-year study investigated the consistency of tuber quality (fry color, sugars, dormancy length) of Russet Burbank potatoes during nine-months of storage at 5.6, 7.5, and 8.9°C. Potato tubers were grown at the University of Idaho Kimberly R&E Center and stored at the Kimberly Potato Storage Research Facility after harvest of each year. Results show that firstly, storage temperatures at 7.5°C and 8.9°C generate good fry color and low reducing sugar, but 8.9°C gives greater consistency of the quality parameters over the years; secondly, lower storage temperature at 5.6°C is associated with longer dormancy, but resulted in higher reducing sugar and darker fry color due to cold-induced sweetening; thirdly, the impact of year on all the storage quality parameters is significant (p<0.05). Considering the fact that agronomic practices and storage practices were consistent throughout the entire study, it suggests that environmental stresses during the growing season play a critical role in potato post-harvest storability. Therefore, attention to management strategies during the growing season to mitigate stress is important for storability. This study concludes that the optimized storage temperature for processing Russet Burbank potatoes should range between 7.5°C and 8.9°C, and effective responses to changeable growing conditions during the field season are important for storing potatoes with good quality after harvest.