Ethylene treatment was associated with increased weight loss when applied to sweetpotato during storage

The effects of continuous ethylene treatment (10 ?L L - 1) on sweetpotato quality during storage at 25 ?C were examined since exogenous ethylene has been reported to improve the storage of some other non - climacteric storage organs. Alongside the continuous ethylene and air control treatments, roots were also transferred, at first indication of spouting, from ethylene to air and vice - versa. At periodic intervals before and after dormancy break, samples were randomly collected from all treatments and the weight, disease incidence, respiration, sprouting incidence and severity evaluated. Spatial variations in non - structural carbohydrate levels (maltose, fructose, glucose, sucrose) and individual phenolics were also assessed at the proximal (stem end) and distal (root end) segments for both skin and flesh tissues using HPLC. Root respiration was promoted whilst sprout growth was reduced in roots held in continuous ethylene or when moved from air into ethylene. Concomitantly, ethylene treatment was associated with increased weight loss. The implications of ethylene application on the storage of sweetpotato and the downstream effects on the physiological and biochemical changes are discussed in the complete paper presented at CA MA 2013. Sources EFFECTS OF ETHYLENE ON THE BIOCHEMICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES IN STORED SWEETPOTATO ROOTSAmoah, R.S. and Terry, L.A.,l.a.terry@cranfield.ac.ukPlant Science Laboratory, Cranfield University, Bedfordshire, MK 43 0AL, UK CA MA 2013, XI International Controlled & Modified Atmosphere Research Conference, Trani (Italy), 3-7 June 2013The picture is by wikipedia.org