Evaluation of the physical-mechanical properties of potatoes during conservation

The potatoes are traditionally submitted to cold storage to adapt their intake on the market. The time and storage conditions influence the potatoes quality and consequently their susceptibility to handling. According to these considerations, it is important to determine how the storage might modify the physical-mechanical properties of the potatoes. Laboratory tests were therefore carry out on two cultivars (Solanum tuberosum L.: Vivaldi and Primura) and during two years of harvesting. Potato tubers were held in controlled storage (temperature 4,5 °C, humidity 80%) over a period of 240 days. Quasi-static compressions were performed on the entire tuber for failure determination and on cylindrical specimens for Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio evaluation. The tests were periodically carried out. The aim of this study is the evaluation of cultivar and storage time influence on physicalmechanical characteristics and quality of potatoes.