Weight Loss in Sweet Potatoes During Curing and Storage: Contribution of Transpiration and Respiration

Abstract

Cured sweet potatoes [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam] were stored successfully at 15.6°C and 90% RH for up to a year without sprouting. Contribution of respiration and transpiration to total weight loss was determined during curing and storage in 6 cultivars. Respiration rate was highest the day of harvest, decreased during curing, and continued to decrease at a slower rate during the first several months of storage, whereafter it remained constant (except for slight increases during the last several months in 2 cultivars). Respiration contributed more to total weight loss during the latter periods of storage than during curing or the first months in storage. Transpiration, however, was the major source of weight loss. The highest rate of weight loss occurred during curing, followed by a gradual rate of loss during storage. Total weight loss of cured roots after 50 weeks of storage ranged from 6.7% (‘Rojo Blanco’) to 16.1% (‘Travis’).

Evaluating the Fungal Pathogens’ Inhibition Efficiency of Composite Film Combined with Antagonistic Yeasts and Sodium Alginate on Peach

“…Past studies have shown that most of the postharvest WL is caused mainly by water loss in transpiration, while the rest is caused by respiration in nutrition consumption [18]. In this study, peaches from different groups suffered a total WL ranging from 16% to 25% after 14 d of storage.…”