What does frost do to potato storage?

The frost has generally had a positive influence on storage, says Cor van Maanen, field sales representative at storage specialist Omnivent. "The inferior batches have had time to dry due to the dry winter air."

Cheap cooling
The cold has provided several benefits. An example of this is that cooling was possible for a short but strong period. "The product temperature could be kept low cheaply in this way. When it got really cold, we advised not to ventilate at night but during the day. This is because ventilation at night caused a large temperature difference and that creates a risk of pressure points," says Van Maanen.

The situation is now optimal for storage. “At night temperatures are around 3 degrees Celsius; perfect for keeping the product temperature low." Van Maanen is cautiously positive about the storage. "The quality of the batches that are still available is generally very good and this can remain for a while." To maintain optimal storage, he advises investing in mechanical cooling, as the outside temperature will rise."

Situation Belgium
A message came from Belgium from the PCA (Test Center for Potato Cultivation) that potatoes in particular along the shed walls that have cooled down significantly could cause problems with the frying color in the coming weeks. "The batches with the greatest storage problems have now been eliminated," PCA reports in that message. However, various parties remain uncertain, which means that ventilation in some barns takes quite some hours.

Challenger
Regarding the Challenger variety, there have been quite a few reports of internal discoloration. In the long term, this can lead to cavities in the tuber, making the potato unsuitable for chip production. PCA suspects that this has to do with the explosive growth at the end of the growing season, which meant that not enough starch was transported to the tuber.