POST HARVEST DISEASES OF POTATO AT COLD STORAGE CONDITION IN NORTHERN REGION OF BANGLADESH

Abstract

Cold storage environment was studied to assess its effect on post-harvest disease of potato in selected cold storage of Nilphamari district of Bangladesh. Total 360 samples of potato were collected from cold storages of Nilphamari districts viz. Shawon cold storage, Angkur seed & cold storage and Mukta cold storage during July, 2018 to December, 2018. Internal condition of cold-storages viz. temperature ( 0 C/ 0 F), Relative humidity (%), O 2 ii

supply & CO 2 removal and NH 3

supply were recorded during the study period. The recorded parameters in the storage were; temperature ranged from 2.22 0 C/36 0 F to 4.44 0 C/40 F, relative humidity 85-90%, CO 2 removal and O 2 supply 48 minutes to 1 hr and NH 3 0 supply 9 to 13 hrs observed. Five significant pathogens were identified among them two fungi viz. Fusarium oxysporum (dry rot) and Rhizopus stolonifera (rhizopus rot) and three bacteria Erwinia carotovora (soft rot), Streptomyces scabies (scab) and Rasltonia solanecearum (brown rot). Storage disease incidence of potato was recorded and variations were observed which depended on internal conditions. The disease incidence of dry rot, rhizopus rot, soft rot, scab and brown rot was ranged from 0.85 to 0.30%, 0.40 to 0.0%, 0.50 to 0.10%, 0.50 to 0.19% and 0.62 to 0.11% respectively. Maximum disease incidence of storage tuber was recorded in July, 2018 while minimum loss was found in December, 2018.