Modern techniques of potato tubers storage have a number of economic, technical, and technological disadvantages and they do not ensure high product safety-potato losses run up to 30 % per storage season. The main goal of the experiment conducted by the authors is a research investigation of the impact made by electrophysical methods on reservation capacity of potato tubers, because this method is the most interesting and understudied. During the experimental studies potato tubers were exposed to electromagnetic direct-current field, electromagnetic alternating current field, ionization, microwave field. The equipment used in the research: equipment for magnetic potato treatment, a microwave field generator, a generator of air ions, DC and AC voltage sources, and auxiliary instruments. As a result of the experimental studies it has been found that untreated potatoes had mass loss of 39 %. Mass loss of potatoes treated with microwave field was over 50 %. Potatoes exposed to aeroionization lost 23 % of their mass. At a magnetic treatment dose of 6-8 mT⋅s mass loss of potatoes does not exceed 20 %, but when a dose of magnetic treatment is greater or less than the specified ranges, mass loss of potatoes exceeds 40 % reaching 75 %. Hence it has been demonstrated that the method of electromagnetic treatment within specific ranges is the most economical one. According to the results of the experiments, electromagnetic potato tubers treatment at a dose of 6-9 mT⋅s has been recognized as the most effective option.

The potatoe quality and storage life depend on temperature, relative humidity, gas composition, and air circulation in the storage building. In the event the parameters are violated, the potatoe weight reduces, storage diseases occur, and rot appears. Existing technologies of potato storage in cold ventilated storage buildings are ineffective. They require large expenses on power resources and microclimate systems. Scientists around the world are developing new methods of potato loss reduction during storage. They are examining the application of electric, magnetic, and microwave fields, gamma radiation, chemical inhibitors, etc. The use of gamma radiation and chemical inhibitors is a serious health risk, while other methods are still under-investigated. The article deals with the researches in negative air ion effect on potatoe quality during storage. For the experiments, the following devices were used: a negative air ion generator, an air ion meter, scales, auxiliary equipment. Researches were conducted for three potato cultivars most common in the southern regions of the Russian Federation. During the experiments, the negative air ion concentration effecting on potatoes was 4 500-4 900 ions·cm -3 , the exposure time range was from 30 seconds to 15 minutes. The conclusion from the experiments is that the loss of potatoes, exposed to air ions during 120 days of storage, is not more than 8 %. Loss of potatoes not exposed to air ions is up to 39 %. Exposure to positive air ions, on the contrary, increases the potato weight loss compared to the unexposed test patterns.

Modern techniques of potato tuber storage have a number of economic, technical, and technological disadvantages and they do not ensure high product safety-potato losses run up to 30 % per storage season. The work has been conducted on the effect of the magnetic field of neodymium (NdFeB) magnet on sprouting, weight loss and storage of potatoes, because this method is the most interesting and understudied. The equipment used in the research: equipment for magnetic potato treatment, NdFeB magnets, magnetometer to identify the positive and negative magnetic poles, and auxiliary instruments. As a result of the experimental studies it has been found that untreated potatoes had the weight loss of 39 %. The weight loss of potatoes treated with a positive magnetic field of 330…350 mT and time treatment 60…180 s was 4 %. The positive magnetic field of 330…350 mT was effective in suppressing sprout growth. It also inhibits the sprout growth in potatoes stored at 25°C. Potatoes receiving more than 330…350 mT dose were higher in the length of sprouts, and higher weight loss of potatoes (20…50 %). Also, potatoes receiving a negative magnetic field dose were higher in the length of sprouts, and higher weight loss (60 %) than those given a positive magnetic field dose. As a result of the experiments, the design of a new device for magnetic processing of potatoes has been developed. It is anticipated that magnetic fields influence the potato cells, as the result of the effects, potato tubers either lack in moisture, starch and other substances, or lose them quickly due to the inner-structure destruction.

An electrostatic air cleaner is highly efficient for air clearing, which allows blocking dust, tiny particles and bacteria. However, the cost of such devices is quite high; for example, the increase of the degree of cleaning by 6 % raises the relative value almost 3 times. As a result, it restrains their distribution in agriculture. The solution to this problem is possible by upgrading the design of the electrostatic air cleaner, which consists in science-based choosing the area of the collecting electrode. The standard research methods were used for the experiment: the method of multifactorial experiment, statistical analysis, determination of the adequacy of the experimental data. Several collection electrodes have been studied in the form of tubes with different inner surface, so that their area corresponds to the analytical values: smooth surface, corrugated surface, undulated surface, complex surface with interleaving niches and crowns (like cuts in firearms). As a result of the experimental studies the dependence of the degree of cleaning of the electrostatic air cleaner η on the speed of the particle movement to the collecting electrode ν and supply air w at a constant square area of the collecting electrode is found. The maximum degree of air cleaning from bacterial pathogens varies from 60 to 99 %. The use of air cleaning installations in conjunction with recirculation allows reducing the gas content in the room, where animals are kept, for 6 times; the number of pathogenic bacteria (coliform bacillus, staphylococcus) is reduced 10 times; the amount of the consumed electric power to maintain the microclimate is reduced 2 times; the young stock loss is decreased from 40 % to 5 %.

Wheat grain is one of the most valuable crops, as it is rich in gluten proteins and other valuable substances. Currently, the food industry and the grain market place high demands on the quality of wheat grain. However, individual batches of grain have toxic properties as a result of the content of heavy metals, harmful mycoflora. Grain mixtures can be even more toxic due to their fine structure. In this regard, the search for effective ways to reduce the overall toxicity of grain and grain mixtures is of scientific and practical interest. One of the most environmentally promising methods of grain disinfection is ozonization. A number of experiments on the effects of ozone on the toxicity of grain and grain mixtures have been conducted at the Stavropol State Agrarian University. To determine the objective picture of the state of grain and feed in the research laboratory using biotesting, 40 samples of wheat grain and 94 samples of grain mixtures from different agroclimatic zones of Russia were examined for general toxicity. As a result, it was found that nineteen samples of forty grains had moderate and high toxicity. Thus, the assumption was confirmed about the need to find ways to reduce the toxicity of grain and forage in order to ensure the safety of feeding animals and poultry. To accomplish this goal, we conducted a series of experiments on disinfection of wheat grain and grain mixtures with ozone in various modes. The ozone concentration was determined using a Cyclone-5.41 gas analyzer. The processing of wheat and grain mixtures was carried out with an ozone generator "Ozone-60P" with a plant capacity of 60 g•h-1. As a result of the research, the effect of ozone on the reduction of the toxicity of wheat grain and grain mixtures was found. The article presents the optimal modes of disinfection of wheat and grain mixtures with ozone to reduce the overall toxicity.