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Application of Organic and Inorganic Salts to Field-Grown Potato Tubers Can Suppress Silver Scurf During Potato Storage

Silver scurf, caused by Helminthosporium solani, is an economically important postharvest disease of potato tubers. Organic and inorganic salts were evaluated for their ability to suppress silver scurf lesion development and sporulation of H. solani on potato tubers. Tubers were treated immediately after harvest with 0.2-M solutions of potassium sorbate, calcium propionate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, ammonium bicarbonate, or water. Tween 20 was added as a surfactant to most treatments. Potassium sorbate (0.1 M), acidified potassium sorbate and calcium propionate treatments (0.2 M), and calcium chloride treatments (0.136 M) were included in additional experiments. Tubers were stored under commercial storage conditions for 4 to 6 months prior to disease evaluation. The extent of disease suppression varied among experiments; however, some treatments consistently reduced disease. Lesion formation on the tuber surface was reduced by 26 to 60% using potassium sorbate (in three of four experiments) compared to water-treated or untreated tubers. Sporulation was suppressed by 0.2 M potassium sorbate (78 to 99% reduction) in all four experiments. Sodium carbonate reduced lesion formation in two experiments and sporulation in three of four experiments. Other treatments inconsistently suppressed lesion formation or sporulation, or did not reduce disease. Addition of Tween or acidification of organic salt solutions did not improve silver scurf suppression in most cases. Potassium sorbate has very low mammalian toxicity and great potential as an innocuous and inexpensive postharvest fungicide for suppression of silver scurf during potato storage.