Bruising, storage and best pratice

Running a harvesting crew is expensive. There can be pressure to get the job done. But, as the young tubers are torn from their protective soil, shaken along belts and conveyors then dropped into bins, it is also critical to minimise damage. The impacts of rough handling may not be visible immediately, but emerge during storage and/or transport.

At the recent PotatoLink workshop in Thorpdale, Victoria, storage expert Professor Nora Olsen (University of Idaho) shared her insights into reducing the risk of bruising and other hidden drivers of storage quality.

Her key message was that success comes down to detail: timing, temperature, hydration and vigilance.