1. BLACK HEART OF POTATO EndPrevious Next

2. Black heart of Potato It is an important storage, transit and market disease of potato tubers as a result of poor oxygen relations. The disease occurs in poorly ventilated room in closely packed condition. Cross section of infected tubers EndPrevious Next

3. Black heart of Potato It also occurs in the field when temperature of soil goes above 32 0 C during growth and maturation of tubers. The disease occurs in transit when the temperature inside the carrying vans rises for sometimes above 32 0 C EndPrevious Next

4. Symptoms: Dark grey to purplish or blue black discolouration in irregular pattern in the central portion of tubers. Large tubers are more susceptible to black heart. EndPrevious Next

5. Discoloured tissues are firm but on exposure to room temperature it become soft and inky In advance stages the affected tissues dry out and shrinks with formation of cavity in the centre of the tuber. EndPrevious Next

6. Cause  It is a non pathogenic disease.  Black heart develops when oxygen is excluded or unable to reach internal tuber tissues.  It develops more rapidly between 0 0 C and 2.5 0 C than at 5 0 C  At temperature of 36 0 C -40 0 C or of 0 0 C or slightly below black heart may also develops because of less gas diffusion through the tissues of tubers. EndPrevious Next

7. Post harvest – Poor Ventilation, Temps below 0 0 C or above 33 0 C in storage or transit EndPrevious Next

8. Management Store the tubers in well ventilated rooms and the bags of tubers should not be piled very high upon each other. Provide sufficient aeration during storage. Do not expose tubers to high temperature nor to prolonged storage near 0 0 C. In the field if the soil temperature goes very high( above 32 0 C) during maturation of tubers should be irrigated. EndPrevious Next