Inhibiting Germination Requires Highly Accurate Cooling

Potatoes must be kept at a consistent temperature throughout the batch as soon as possible once they have been stored. This requires an effective ventilation system. Mechanical cooling ensures added value whenever a highly accurate storage temperature must be maintained.

Effective ventilation and cooling ensures that the temperature of a batch of potatoes is maintained at a highly accurate level during periods with warmer nights and when the summer season approaches. This will benefit both quality and quantity for tons of product to be delivered. In addition, it ensures a more stable and drier product free from condensation, which means that the batch will remain resistant to germination for a longer period of time. Mechanical cooling is also becoming increasingly essential and of interest to potato growers due to the banning of CIPC.

Reduced deployment of germination inhibitors
If mechanical cooling is used to keep potatoes at a consistent temperature, the deployment of the new germination inhibitors can be kept to a minimum. This should be arranged in consultation with the supplier of such germination inhibitors, who possess the necessary expertise with regard to the various properties and optimal application methods.

Not too cold
Colder storage is not necessarily always better. Low temperatures can contribute to the formation of sugars, leading to a deterioration in frying quality. Potato tubers have an optimum temperature whereby the need for the batch to ‘breathe’ is kept to a minimum. If the temperature falls too much, the potatoes will react by starting to produce warmth, causing unnecessary weight loss.