Micropropagated potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plantlets are routinely used for producing specific pathogen tested minitubers in the Canadian seed tuber certification industry. In vitro hardening methods for micropropagated 'Norland' were investigated, involving full and half strength Murashige and Skoog (1962) based propagation medium supplemented with NaCl, KCl, CaCl2, polyethyleneglycol, or paclobutrazol. Ten different media treatments were compared for their effect on stomatal function and early transplant performance using porometry, microscopy, and direct ex vitro transplanting. PEG, NaCl and 1/2 MS + 3 mM Ca treatments did lead to decreased leaf water losses. However, these treatments did not improve ex vitro transplant performance compared to controls. Minituber production was investigated using ex vitro plantlets in a rockwool-based hydroponic system. Productivity was evaluated for treatments involving photoperiod pretreatment, planting orientation, planting density, and hilling. No difference in total yield was detected when plantlets were exposed to 12 compared with 16 hour photoperiod pretreatments. However, short photoperiod pretreatment increased the number of minitubers in the most desirable size range. Increased planting density reduced yield per plant. However, small increases in yield per m2 occurred with increased planting density. Hilling, pinching, and planting orientation had no effect upon minituber size, number, or overall fresh weight yield. Significant differences in minituber yield occurred in field experiments. Larger minitubers (10--40 g) had larger yields compared with smaller minitubers (1--5 g). These results will contribute to improved minituber production technology for the Canadian certified potato seed tuber industry.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1966. / Typescript. Vita. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

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Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009. / Full text also available online. Scroll down for electronic link.

Potato ranks fourth after wheat, rice and corn as a major food crop. It is an excellent source of nutrients and at the same time relatively inexpensive, therefore it is the mainstay in the diets of people in both developed and developing countries. Potato losses and quality degradation due to the effect of storage variables or processing conditions must be reduced to increase the world food supply. To accomplish these objectives, studies have been conducted to evaluate: (a) quality changes in potatoes during cooking and frying, (b) quality changes in raw potatoes as influenced by storage conditions, (c) changes in cooking quality of potatoes as influence by storage conditions, (d) changes in frying quality of potatoes as influenced by storage conditions, and finally (e) quality changes in potatoes as influenced by Erwinia carotovora ssp. carotovora infection (Ecc, casual agent of soft rot disease in potato). / Kinetics of quality changes during cooking and frying of potatoes were evaluated. Potatoes were cooked at 80--100°C or fried at 160--190°C for selected times and their texture and color were evaluated. Results showed that texture values of cooked potatoes decreased with the progress of cooking, and the rate of texture changes at each temperature was found to be consistent with two pseudo first-order kinetic mechanisms. Textural values of fried potatoes increased with frying time and followed a first order kinetic model. Cooked potatoes were less bright, more red and less yellow in color as compared to raw samples. A modified first order model was used to characterize the color changes kinetics of both cooked and fried potatoes based on the changes occurring between the initial and a maximum or minimum value. 10 min cooking at 100°C and 10 min frying at 180°C were considered to give the designed cooked and fried products, respectively. / The changes in quality characteristics of potatoes as a function of storage variables (temperature and time) were evaluated. Potatoes were stored at five temperatures (4, 8, 12, 16 and 20°C) for selected duration (at least 5 time intervals) and different physico-chemical quality parameters were evaluated. Potatoes remained healthier when they stored at lower temperatures due to absence of sprouts and visible spoilage. They became softer and darker by passage of time.

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