Effect of Mechanical Damages and Storage Conditions on Quality of Markies cv. Potatoes for Processing

Aims: Evaluate whether mechanical damage and storage conditions affect the quality of the ‘Markies’ potato for processing.

Study Design: The experimental design was the completely randomized, in the scheme of split-plots. The plots were composed of treatments with and without mechanical damage and the subplots were made up by the evaluation times, with 5 replicates, where the experimental unit was composed of 2 tubers.

Place and Duration of Study: Tubers of the ‘Markies’ cultivar from the producing region of Perdizes, State of Minas Gerais, were planted in June 2016 and harvested in October 2016.

Methodology: The tubers were stored for 2 months at 8°C, and further divided into treatment with damage, in which the tubers were subjected to impact and abrasion; and control treatment, in which the tubers were not damaged. After that, they were stored at 28°C and evaluated for their loss of loss of accumulated fresh mass (FML), total soluble sugar (TSS), reducing sugar (RS), non-reducing sugar (NRS) and color after frying in the periods of 0, 12, 24, 36 and 48 h after being placed at room temperature.

Results: The mechanical damage in the tubers increased FML, however, it did not affect the content of TSS, NRS, RS and color after frying. Increases were observed in the content of TSS and NRS after 12 h of evaluation. Grade 2 was assigned to the coloring scale after frying for the tubers regardless of treatment or evaluation period.

Conclusion: Mechanical damage increases the FML and the ‘Markies’ cultivar is suitable for the industry of pre-fried potato processing even under the occurrence of mechanical damage and exposure to high temperatures.