What is the temperature required to store potatoes
What is the temperature required to store potatoes
The potato storage procedure is weaka link of the entire Russian agribusiness sector, since, according to numerous industry studies, each year the country loses 5-20% (according to various estimates) of the harvest of vegetables of this species. The situation is complicated by the fact that a significant part of the all-Russian production is grown in household plots, and people do not always know how to store potatoes correctly.
The temperature necessary for potato storage
Rules for the storage of vegetables of this species, whichwill be preserved until the new season, regulate a fairly narrow temperature range - from 0 to 3 degrees Celsius. Its observance will allow preserving products not yet collected the first early potatoes. Do not forget that at -1 degrees vegetables will start to freeze, and at +4 degrees sprouts will give. Quality preservation of potatoes is also facilitated by maintaining the right level of air humidity - about 85-90%. If small shoots are still forming on the tubers, they must be removed in a timely manner, otherwise the solanine substance that accumulates in the potatoes A taste of vegetables and considered harmful to the human body. By the way, another unpleasant property of exceeding the temperature level, besides the rapid increase in sprouts, is the appearance of a not very pleasant sweetish taste in potatoes. During the storage period, it is also necessary to check the preserved crop and remove diseased or spoiled potato tubers in a timely manner.Other rules and norms for storing potatoes
Before laying the tubers for storage, they need to bethoroughly dry in fresh air, as moisture ingress can adversely affect the condition of the vegetables. In this case, it is necessary to pay great attention to the preparation of the cellar, which must be thoroughly dried, cleaned of debris, and its bottom is whitewashed with a lime solution. It is also recommended to install boxes with potatoes in stacks with a maximum height of 2 meters, as exceeding this level will affect the vegetables in the lower and upper layers, the temperature in which will vary greatly. An important procedure is to ventilate the room, which is stored until spring potatoes. To do this, at least once a week, open the store to get into it fresh air. Some professional farmers also use ordinary straw to equip the first layer in the storehouse, which can absorb excess moisture and unpleasant odors, which will keep the potatoes even better. There is another small trick - in the total weight of vegetables, you can pour a small number of ordinary Garden apples, which will also prevent the release of potatoes sprouts. But in this case, it will be necessary to pay attention to the fact that the fruits were whole and unbroken.
