Heat treatments for the control of sprouting of potatoes during storage

Potatoes were given hot water dip and vapour heat treatments at temperatures ranging from 50 to 80°C and 60 to 70°C respectively for various durations to control sprouting. Hot water treatment at its effective temperatures and durations resulted in undesirable physical damage to tubers. On the other hand, vapour heat treatment at 60°C with 95 ° 5 r.h. for 60 min suppressed sprouting, when given to tubers at the sprout emergence stage, without causing any deleterious side effects. The treatment, when repeated after 3 wk further reduced sprout yield during storage at ambient conditions (22–35°C, 50–80 r.h.). Comparative studies on the efficacy of vapour heat treatment and manual de-sprouting showed that vapour heat was superior to manual de-sprouting.