Potato storage: Need, present scenario, emerging technologies and future strategies: A critical appraisal

Increase in potato production has led to several post production problems and the major problem is that of storage. Fresh potatoes are available only for 3 months in a year, therefore, there is a need to store seed potatoes for 6-8 months and potatoes for table and processing purposes up to 9 months to maintain a year long supply. Seed potatoes have to be stored at 2-4 degrees C to maintain right physiological age and potatoes meant for table and processing purposes at higher temperatures (8-12 degrees C) for the maintenance of processing quality and good taste. Depending on the quality requirements for specific end use, potatoes have to be stored under different conditions. Research work reported on the development and improvement of low-cost non-refrigerated storage methods for table potatoes including an evaporatively cooled store (ECS) and traditional methods of potato storage (heaps and pits) have been reviewed. An up to date state of emerging technology of potato storage at 10-12 degrees C with the use of sprout inhibitor isopropyl-N (3-chlorophenyl) carbamate (CIPC) in India to meet the demand of processing industries and research on natural growth suppressing compounds as alternative sprout inhibitors have been presented. Attempt has also been made to critically appraise the current scenario and future strategies of potato storage in India.