Search Results (68)

Potato tubers can be dormant for 1–15 weeks after harvest, and the germination of tuber eye-buds is suppressed by cold. Genetic mechanisms regulating bud dormancy at low temperatures are not completely understood. We performed RNA-seq to compare gene expression in tubers after 0.5, 3.5, and 6.5 months of cold storage. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in non-dormant (3.5/6.5 months) vs. dormant (0.5 months) tubers were associated with transcriptional and translational activation, cell growth, metabolism, hormonal signaling, meristem development, dormancy break, and reproduction, confirming the non-dormant state of the meristem in the middle of storage. DEGs encoding transcription factors (TFs) (CBF1, FLC, SVP, HY5, GI, CO, FT, SOC1, CDF1, POTM1) were associated with the regulation of dormancy, flowering, and tuberization. TF DEGs upregulated (78) or downregulated (224) over four times in non-dormant vs. dormant tubers are considered potential coordinators of the endo- to non-dormancy transition and upcoming tuber sprouting during cold storage. RT-qPCR analysis of non-dormant and germinating buds revealed the upregulation of tuberigens (StSP3D, StFTL1-1, StFTL1-2), anti-tuberigens (StSP5G-like), and TF genes positively associated with tuberization or flowering/germination (StFDL1, StFDL, StCDF1, StCO-like). Our results should further investigation of the mechanisms underlying tuber meristem dormancy release and sprouting during long-term cold storage. Full article

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) is an important root crop in China, playing significant roles in ensuring national food security and increasing farmers’ income. The sprouting capability of sweet potato storage roots determines the quality of sweet potato seedlings and serves as a prerequisite for ensuring yield and quality. With the increasing severity of sweet potato viral diseases, the decline of the sprouting capability of seed roots has led to severe declines in both the yield and quality of sweet potatoes. It is urgent to uncover the genetic basis and molecular mechanisms underlying the sprouting capabilities of storage roots with different virus contents. In this study, storage roots with different virus contents of two sweet potato varieties, Jishu 25 (J25) and Jishu 26 (J26), were evaluated for sprouting capability and virus content, including chlorotic stunt virus (CSV), feathery mottled virus (FMV), sweet potato virus G (SPVG), sweet potato latent virus (SPLV), and sweet potato chlorotic fleck virus (SPCFV). The results show that the storage roots with low virus levels of both varieties exhibited stronger sprouting capability and lower virus content. Comparative transcriptome analysis of the differences in sprouting capabilities between storage roots with different virus content revealed that the starch metabolism, cellulose metabolism, jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway, and salicylic acid (SA) signaling pathways are potential biological pathways contributing to the differences in sprouting capabilities between storage roots with different virus contents. This study provides evidence for further research on the sprouting mechanisms of sweet potatoes. Full article

The growing demand for sustainable, nutritionally adequate plant-based foods has driven innovation in meat analogues. This study presents a novel approach to upcycling potato juice protein—a by-product of starch production—into plant-based gyros (PBG) enriched with iron and dietary fiber. Four formulations (PBG1–PBG4) were developed using a blend of potato, rice, wheat, and pea proteins, and fortified with either ferritin-rich sprout powder or ferrous sulfate. Comprehensive analyses were conducted to assess nutritional composition, mineral content, glycoalkaloid safety, antioxidant activity, texture, water mobility, sensory appeal, and microbiological stability. All variants met high-protein labeling criteria and exhibited favorable fiber and mineral profiles. In vitro digestion significantly enhanced antioxidant bioaccessibility, particularly phenolic acids. Sensory evaluations favored ferritin-enriched variants, which also demonstrated superior texture and consumer acceptance. Microbiological assessments confirmed safety for up to 10 days under refrigeration. These findings highlight the potential of potato juice protein as a sustainable, functional ingredient in next-generation plant-based meat analogues. Full article

The effects of wound healing on crop stand and productivity were examined on the potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars Alturas (Alt), Russet Burbank (RB), and Clearwater Russet (CW). Tuber yields increased linearly with an advancing wound healing period irrespective of the cultivar (R² = 0.91). In contrast to unhealed controls, RB and CW wound-healed for 8 days produced a 6% and 8% greater yield, respectively, while a shorter wound healing period of 2 days increased Alt yield by 7%. Increases in tuber yield, a consequence of enhanced specific tuber weight across wound healing periods, contributed towards increased relative crop value in Alt (13%), RB (22%), and CW (19%). In further lab evaluations, Alt exhibited increased desiccation resistance and was associated with an earlier induction (24 h post-wounding) of feruloyl transferase (FHT) compared to CW and RB. Since FHT facilitates suberin and wax development, delayed FHT induction likely promoted fresh-weight loss in CW and RB compared to Alt. Enzymatic evaluations to assess the production of reactive oxygen species to protect fresh-cut seed found that RB had the highest activities of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase. This study demonstrates the broad benefits of planting wound-healed seed while highlighting opportunities to improve best practices and genetic improvement for wound healing response. Full article

Seed potatoes without sprouts usually need to be manually selected in mechanized production, which has been the bottleneck of efficiency. A fast and efficient object recognition algorithm is required for the additional removal process to identify unqualified seed potatoes. In this paper, a lightweight deep learning algorithm, YOLOv8_EBG, is proposed to both improve the detection performance and reduce the model parameters. The ECA attention mechanism was introduced in the backbone and neck of the model to more accurately extract and fuse sprouting features. To further reduce the model parameters, Ghost convolution and C3ghost were introduced to replace the normal convolution and C2f blocks in vanilla YOLOv8n. In addition, a bi-directional feature pyramid network is integrated in the neck part for multi-scale feature fusion to enhance the detection accuracy. The experimental results from an isolated test dataset show that the proposed algorithm performs better in detecting sprouts under natural light conditions, achieving an mAP_0.5 of 95.7% and 91.9% AP for bud recognition. Compared to the YOLOv8n model, the improved model showed a 6.5% increase in mAP_0.5, a 12.9% increase in AP_0.5 for bud recognition, and a 5.6% decrease in the number of parameters. Additionally, the improved algorithm was applied and tested on mechanized sorting equipment, and the accuracy of seed potato detection was as high as 92.5%, which was sufficient to identify and select sprouted potatoes, an indispensable step since only sprouted potatoes can be used as seed potatoes. The results of the study can provide technical support for subsequent potato planting intelligence. Full article

Enzymatic browning and cold-induced sweetening (CIS) affect the post-harvest quality of potato tubers. Browning is caused by polyphenol oxidase 2 (PPO2), which is activated by mechanical damage during harvest and storage. CIS occurs when vacuolar invertase converts sucrose into reducing sugars, which react with amino acids during frying, forming brown pigments and acrylamide. While cold storage prevents sprouting and disease, it also increases vacuolar invertase expression, leading to quality loss. Using CRISPR/Cas9, we developed gene-edited potato lines with improved resistance to browning and CIS. Line 6A (cv. Atlantic) and E03-3 (cv. Spunta) exhibited complete vacuolar invertase (InvVac) knockout, maintaining chip quality for at least 60 days at 4 °C. Line 6A, renamed PIRU INTA, was tested in field trials and preserved frying quality for up to 90 days under cold storage. PIRU INTA is currently undergoing registration as a new variety. Additionally, lines E04-5B and E03-3 (cv. Spunta) showed partial PPO2 gene edits, reducing enzymatic browning by 80% and 40%, respectively. This study demonstrates the potential of CRISPR/Cas9 to develop non-transgenic, gene-edited potatoes with enhanced storage quality, benefiting both growers and the food industry. Full article

The potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plays an important role in ensuring global food security. Potato tubers store abundant nutrients and are also reproductive organs. The adjustment of tuber sprouting plays a vital role in timely sowing and improving tuber product quality. CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs) exert an important function in the entire life cycle of plants and in coping with stress. In our present study, we found that the StCIPK23 expression level increased during storage and that overexpression of StCIPK23 can accelerate tuber sprouting. Physiological assays indicated that overexpressing StCIPK23 altered carbohydrate metabolism and antioxidant-related enzyme activities during storage. Starch branching enzyme (SBEI) gene expression was upregulated, while sucrose synthase (SS), 3-phosphoglyceric phosphokinase (PGK), and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 1 (GAPC1) gene expression were downregulated in StCIPK23-overexpressing potato. High gibberellin (GA) content and low abscisic acid (ABA) content were also detected in transgenic tubers. We conducted metabolomics analysis on bud eyes, and the results showed a total of 94 differential metabolites were found. Among them, 61 metabolites were increased, the top three metabolites were coumaryl alcohol, glutathione and quercetin–glucoside–glucoside–rhamnoside. Our results suggest that StCIPK23 is a positive regulator of potato tuber sprouting. Full article

In order to solve the problems of tuber infection and nutrient loss caused by potato germination during storage, this paper conducted a systematic study using low-temperature plasma jet technology to inhibit potato germination and determine its optimal treatment conditions. This study focused on optimizing the plasma treatment parameters, including voltage, gas flow rate, and treatment time, to effectively control potato germination, reduce weight loss during storage, and determine the quality indexes such as hardness, crispness, and antioxidant enzyme activity of potatoes in storage. The study showed that the optimal conditions for plasma treatment of potatoes were voltage 18.05 kV, treatment time 20.21 s, and gas flow rate 12.79 L/min. Under these conditions, the germination rate of potatoes was significantly reduced to 31.42%, and the weight loss rate was reduced to 2.15%. For the convenience of operation, the parameters of the validation experiment were determined as a treatment voltage of 18 kV, treatment time of 20 s, and gas flow rate of 13 L/min. The resultant potato germination rate was 31.26%, and the weight loss rate was 2.29%. Compared with the blank control group, the plasma-treated group significantly increased the activities of potato antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD, etc.). After 16 days of storage, SOD (superoxide dismutase) activity and CAT (catalase) activity of the plasma-treated group increased by 52.63% and 29.27%, respectively, compared with the control; POD (peroxidase) and PPO (polyphenol oxidase) activities of the treated group increased by 8.69% and 18.58%, respectively, compared with the control. Compared with the blank control, the plasma treatment group increased the hardness and brittleness of potatoes. Specifically, the hardness of the treated group increased by 6.06% compared with the control, and the brittleness of the treated group decreased by only 24% within 16 days, compared with a 37.19% decrease in the control. In addition, plasma treatment also reduced the accumulation of reduced sugar and dry matter consumption, thus maintaining the storage quality of potatoes, in which reducing sugar in the treated group was reduced by 32.56% compared with the control group, and dry matter in the treated group was increased by 7.66% compared with the control group. Therefore, the reasonable use of plasma treatment can effectively inhibit and slow down the sprouting process of potatoes, which lays a foundation for revealing the mechanism of plasma technology in inhibiting potato sprouting and improving its quality. Full article

Seedling cultivation is the foremost part of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L. Lam) production. It is of great significance to reveal the effects of different temperatures on the nutrients of sweet potato storage roots and their relationship with the sprouting quality and to explore the appropriate temperature management for seedlings. In this study, we simulated the temperature differences during the sprouting and seedling period in the summer growing area of sweet potato in the Yangtze River Basin and set three constant temperatures (17 °C, 22 °C and 27 °C) and corresponding three-day/night variable temperatures (21/13 °C, 26/18 °C and 31/23 °C). Thus, we investigated the nutrients, amylase activity, endogenous hormones, and sprouting characteristics of storage roots during the sprouting and seedling period of three sweet potato cultivars with different starch contents. The results showed that with the increase in temperature, the starch and soluble protein (SP) contents in sweet potato storage roots decreased, and the total soluble sugar (TSS), reducing sugar (RS), and sucrose contents increased during the sprouting and seedling period. The amylase activity enhanced; the hormone (IAA) content increased, and the abscisic acid (ABA) content decreased, which, in turn, led to an earlier time of sprouting time (ST), emergence stage (ES), and full stand of seedling stage (FSS). Comparing at the same average temperature, the physiological metabolism and sprouting time and quality of sweet potato were better at variable temperatures than at constant temperatures, in which 31/23 °C was more conducive to the advancement of the ST of sweet potato. At the same time, it was more conducive to the improvement of the seedling cutting amount (SCA), seedling weight (SDW), and seedling number (SDN). The sprouting time and quality of different sweet potato cultivars differed, and cultivars with higher starch content were superior to those with lower starch content. The sucrose and starch contents at different sprouting stages of storage roots can be used as important indicators of the quality of sweet potato seedlings. Full article

Potatoes are a staple food crop consumed worldwide, with their significance extending from household kitchens to large-scale food processing industries. Their market value and quality are often compromised by various internal defects such as pythium, bruising, internal browning, hollow heart, gangrene, blackheart, internal sprouting, and dry rot. This study aimed to classify internal-based defects and investigate the quantification of internal defective areas in potatoes using visible and short-wavelength near-infrared spectroscopy. The acquisition of the spectral data of potato tubers was performed using a spectrometer with a wavelength range of 400–1100 nm. The classification of internal-based defects was performed using partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), while the quantification of the internal defective area was based on partial least squares regression (PLSR). The PLS-DA double cross-validation accuracy for the distinction between non-defective and all internally defective potatoes was 90.78%. The double cross-validation classification accuracy achieved for pythium, bruising, and non-defective categories was 91.03%. The internal defective area model based on PLSR achieved a correlation coefficient of double cross-validation of 0.91 and a root mean square error of double cross-validation of 0.85 cm². This study makes a valuable contribution to advancing nondestructive techniques for evaluating internal defects in potatoes. Full article

Recently, there has been a growing interest in reducing waste to promote environmental sustainability, with particular focus on agricultural by-products, especially fruits and vegetables. Potato, a widely used crop across various industries, generates a significant amount of peel waste. This study aims to valorize potato peels using water bath extraction (WBE) and infrared-assisted extraction (IRAE), both with distilled water as the solvent, followed by assessments of antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-sprouting activities. Optimization using response surface methodology identified optimal extraction conditions for WBE (90 °C for 70 min) and IRAE (80 °C for 10 min), with both methods yielding 3.5 mg GAE/g DM in polyphenol content. IRAE demonstrated superior energy efficiency and enhanced antioxidant activity. The extracts exhibited antibacterial properties against both Gram-positive (Listeria monocytogenes) and Gram-negative bacteria (Proteus sp. and Salmonella sp.), with inhibition zones ranging from 10 to 14 mm. Furthermore, the potato peels extract showed significant anti-sprouting effects at room temperature, reducing both the number and size of sprouts compared with the control. HPLC analysis showed the presence of different phenolic compounds such as rutin, catechin, caffeic acid, protocatechuic acid, chlorogenic acid, p-coumaric acid, and gallic acid in one or both extracts. These findings suggest that potato peels extract holds potential for applications in the food industry as a natural preservative due to its antioxidant properties, as well as a sprout suppressant. The antibacterial activity of the extracts suggests their potential as a natural preservative as well, offering protection against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria that may be present in food. Full article

Potatoes are typically seeded as tubers, and their slow sprouting significantly impacts production. Therefore, the effects of polyacrylamide (20 g·L⁻¹, 30 g·L⁻¹, and 40 g·L⁻¹) as a seed potato dressing on sprouting, seedling growth, and biomass were investigated. The phytohormone content, respiratory intensity, and starch metabolism enzyme activity were analyzed to elucidate the physiological mechanisms involved. The sprouting rate significantly increased after 20 g·L⁻¹ and 30 g·L⁻¹ treatments by 40.63% and 15.63%, respectively. The sprouting energy was the highest (52.0%) at 20 g·L⁻¹, 7.67 times higher than the control. The 20 g·L⁻¹ and 30 g·L⁻¹ treatments also promoted emergence and growth, with the emergence rate increasing by 18.18% and 27.27% and growth increasing by over 8.1% and 11.9%, respectively. These effects were related to changes in phytohormone content and accelerated starch conversion. After treatment, the auxin and cytokinin contents in the apical buds increased significantly at the germination initiation stage, and during the germination and vigorous growth phases, the auxin, cytokinin, and gibberellin contents increased. Polyacrylamide treatment activated α-amylase and promoted starch degradation, increasing soluble sugar content to provide nutrients and energy for sprouting. This study provides a promising approach for promoting potato tuber sprouting and seedling growth. Full article

The aim of this research was to develop a technology for the production of plant-based burgers (PBBs) based on potato protein, also containing high content of iron and appropriately selected fats. The produced PBBs were characterized in terms of their nutritional and bioactive properties both before and after the in vitro digestion process. It was found that the produced burger was characterized by high protein content, ranging from 20.80 to 22.16 g/100 g. It was also shown to have a high dietary fiber content, ranging from 8.35 to 9.20 g/100 g. The main fraction of dietary fiber in the tested samples was insoluble fiber, which accounted for approximately 89% of the total fiber content. In addition, noteworthy is the high digestibility of the protein, reaching approximately 95% for the potato fiber used in the formulation, and about 85% for the oat fiber. Produced PBBs also provide significant amounts of iron, with the use of an organic iron source greatly increasing its quantity in the final product. The analyzed antioxidant properties before and after the digestion process showed a tenfold increase in biological activity after digestion, indicating that the examined PBBs may counteract oxidative stress. Analyzing the chemical and biological properties, it is impossible not to assess consumer attractiveness. It has been shown that PBB1, which contains potato fiber and powdered sprouts enriched with ferritin, received the highest attractiveness ratings among respondents. Full article

Late blight, caused by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans, is a devastating disease of potato worldwide. In Israel, potatoes are grown twice a year, in autumn and spring, with late blight causing extensive damage in both seasons. While tuber seeds for the autumn planting are produced locally, seed tubers for the spring planting are imported from Europe due to dormancy of local tubers. Here, we demonstrate that seed tubers imported from Europe for the spring season carry asymptomatic infection with EU genotypes of P. infestans, which alters the population structure of the pathogen each spring. The proportion of imported tubers carrying asymptomatic infections ranged between 1.2 and 3.75%, varying by year and cultivar. Asymptomatic tubers produced late blight-infected sprouts about one month after planting. The sporangia produced on these sprouts served as primary inoculum, causing intensive foliage attacks on neighboring plants. When sprout-infected plants were uprooted and the mother tuber was washed, sliced, and placed in moistened dishes at 18 °C, profuse sporulation of P. infestans developed on the slices’ surfaces within 1–2 days. The dominant genotype of P. infestans in the autumn season in Israel is 23A1, but genotypes in the following spring season changed to include 13A2 or 36A2. Surprisingly, genotype 43A1, which might be resistant to CAA and OSBPI fungicides and appeared in Europe in 2022, emerged in Israel in spring 2024. The immigrating genotypes do not persist in the country, allowing 23A1 to regain predominance in the following autumn. Long-term monitoring data suggest that the population structure of P. infestans changes yearly but temporarily due to the import of new genotypes from Europe. Full article

This study used Dutch potatoes at the end of dormancy as a material to explore the impact of menthol (0.2 and 0.5 g/kg based on potato mass) treatment on sprouting inhibition and potato quality. The findings revealed that a menthol concentration of 0.5 g/kg effectively inhibited potato tuber sprouting and significantly reduced glucoside alkaloid production. After a storage period of 15 days, the sprouting percentage and glucoside alkaloid content of potatoes treated with 0.5 g/kg menthol were observed to be significantly lower at 4.17% and 68.63 mg/kg, respectively, compared to the control group which exhibited values of 100% and 282.01 mg/kg, respectively (p < 0.05). Throughout the storage period, 0.5 g/kg of menthol promoted respiration, reduced malondialdehyde production in potatoes, inhibited polyphenol oxidase activity, and slowed down tissue browning. Additionally, it mitigated the decline in starch and soluble protein content, inhibiting the accumulation of reducing sugars. Full article