Post-Harvest Losses and Disease Management in Potatoes: Challenges and Emerging Solutions

Abstract

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) belongs to the Solanaceae family. Potatoes are third in the world's food crops for human consumption, behind rice and wheat. In order to enhance and preserve the productivity and quality of the potato crop, disease prevention is essential. The paper aims to investigate the Challenges and emerging solutions to post-harvest losses and disease management in potatoes. Newly harvested potato tubers, which are 70% water, are prone to rots, galls, and other blemish diseases during harvest, transportation, or cold storage. Potato post-harvest losses were primarily caused by insect pests and infectious diseases that spread as a result of incorrect potato harvesting and handling practices. Both mass and quality are lost as a result of their high moisture content and rapid metabolism. Abiotic, thermal, water (pressure flattening), atmospheric composition (black heart), light (greening). mechanical (skinned tubers), and biochemical stresses are the main causes of these losses. Biological factors include growth responses like sprouting (weight loss), quality changes brought on by pests and diseases, and weight loss from respiration. Potato quality loss during storage is contingent upon storage management and treatments administered at seed storage, growth, and harvest. In order to prevent bacterial and fungal infections from contaminating the tubers throughout harvest. transportation, storage, and distribution, farmers' awareness should also be raised by giving them the necessary training. In conclusion, the current review gives a general overview of the diseases and pathogenesis of decay fungi related to potatoes, as well as developments in disease prevention and post-harvest management techniques.