Potato Skin: The Best Defense Against Storage Loss
Protecting the skin from injury is one of the most effective ways to keep potatoes healthy in storage. A potato that is undamaged defends itself against disease, retains water, and maintains quality over time. In this presentation, we will review the properties of the skin that allow it to be an effective barrier against pathogen entry and water loss. We will also discuss skin formation, skin set, and wound healing. before considering management practices that contribute to maintenance of the skin from field to storage.
Thursday, February 1
11:35am-12:05pm
About the Speaker
Dr. Paul Bethke
Dr. Paul Bethke has been a researcher with the USDA Vegetable Crops Research Unit and a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin since 2006. His research is focused on how genetics and the environment influence potato tuber quality, especially as it relates to quality out of storage. His group is currently working on projects related to diploid potatoes, wild species relatives of potato, the appearance of the potato skin, and stem-end chip defect.
