Thesis (M.Com.(Agriculture))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Summary in English. Includes bibliographical references.

This item was digitized as part of the Million Books Project led by Carnegie Mellon University and supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Cornell University coordinated the participation of land-grant and agricultural libraries in providing historical agricultural information for the digitization project; the University of Arizona Libraries, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the Office of Arid Lands Studies collaborated in the selection and provision of material for the digitization project.

This item was digitized as part of the Million Books Project led by Carnegie Mellon University and supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Cornell University coordinated the participation of land-grant and agricultural libraries in providing historical agricultural information for the digitization project; the University of Arizona Libraries, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the Office of Arid Lands Studies collaborated in the selection and provision of material for the digitization project.

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The potential of hot water dipping, vapour heating or ultraviolet irradiation to eliminate the use of chemicals for control of sprouting and post-harvest diseases of the potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) was examined. The microorganisms on which these treatments were tested were the fungal dry rot (Fusarium solani) and the bacterial soft rot (Erwinia carotovora pv. carotovora), two major post-harvest pathogens of potatoes. The study focused on short-term storage (three months) at 8$ sp circ$C or 18$ sp circ$C, which are representative of storage temperatures used by producers in northern temperate and semi-arid tropical regions, respectively. / Response surface methodology was used in experimentation to facilitate analysis of data and identification of optimal operating conditions for the treatments. The following parameters were used to assess tuber quality after the treatments and 3-month storage: firmness, color and structure. / It was found possible to obtain 100% control of sprouting and diseases for the three-month storage without resorting to the use of chemicals. This was achieved without significantly altering the quality attributes of the tubers under certain conditions of hot water, ultraviolet radiation or combinations of these two with storage at 8$ sp circ$C for three months. Although 100% control was not possible for the storage at 18$ sp circ$C, treated tubers performed much better than the controls. Vapour heat (50-70$ sp circ$C) was much less effective at controlling sprouting and was therefore not tested on the pathogens. / A numerical model of the heat transfer phenomenon in the tuber was also developed. It was used to predict the transient temperature distribution in the tuber. The model was solved using the line-by-line technique and model simulations were validated against experimental data.

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In this study the gene expression pattern of a novel proteinase inhibitor II (PI-II) gene, PiA, in potato (Solanum tuberosum ), was analyzed using RT-PCR. The PiA gene was found to have enhanced expression in expanding tubers of a greenhouse-grown diploid clone (DC), different stages of 'Russet Burbank' tubers and expanding microtubers of in vitro-grown 'Russet Burbank' and 'Bintje'. PiA mRNA was more abundant in the tuber vascular ring and perimedullary zone areas than in other tuber tissues of DC. The PiA gene was also expressed in flower buds/flowers, shoot apices, leaf blades, stems and roots of 'Russet Burbank'. The PiA mRNA levels did not show significant change after IAA treatment in detached leaf blades and tubers of 'Russet Burbank'. Results suggest that the PiA gene is constitutively expressed and could be involved in tuber developmental processes. To the best of our knowledge, PiA is the first reported PI-II gene expressed in most tissues/organs of potato plants.

The combination potato-f. infestans was chosen as the object of this study because of the considerable amount of background information available on the physiology and biochemistry of both members of the pair and also because this combination represents an advanced type of parasitism, and the genetics of the pathogenicity is known. In brief, the main purpose of this work was to determine by means of histochemical tests the effect of f. infestans infection and the distribution and relative activity of succinic, malic and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in tubera of a resistant and a susceptible potato variety. These determinations were to be made at different stages of the disease, starting as early as possible after inoculation and using tuber pieces of different dimensions. Also a study of NAD and diaphorase concentration as limiting factors in the activity of these enzymes was carried out. Finally these enzymatic reactions of the host cell were correlated with those of the cells of the invading pathogen.

Potatoes are often thought of as high GI. It is known that cooking and cooling affect GI and that these effects may be mediated through the physicochemical properties of their starch. As part of a Canadian initiative to develop low GI potatoes, novel potato varieties which differed in starch composition were tested in 2 separate studies. In study 1, we determined the GI of 8 varieties and found that cooling produced a wide range of effects (0-50% reduction in GI). In study 2, four previously tested varieties were re-examined. A significant variety-x-treatment interaction (p<0.01) was observed with cooling reducing GI in some potatoes. Examination of the starch properties and their role in determining GI showed that RDS was positively associated with GI (r2= 0.85, p= 0.001) and SDS (r2=-0.60, p= 0.02) and amylose (r2=-0.99, p=0.007) negatively associated with GI. No relationship between RS and phosphorous content and GI was observed.