Bluecold highlights cold storage as essential for potatoes to prevent sprouting, weight loss, and rot, maintaining tuber quality and marketability for long-term preservation. Cold storage ensures controlled temperature and humidity, extending shelf life and maintaining quality for longer periods.
Blue Cold Refrigeration recommends a storage temperature of 2∘C to 4∘C for fresh/seed potatoes to prevent sprouting, but a warmer 7∘C to 10∘C is ideal for processing potatoes to avoid cold-induced sweetening.
Blue Cold mandates a high relative humidity of 90% to 95% in potato cold stores to prevent weight loss, shrinkage, and shriveling while promoting the healing of minor tuber wounds.
According to Blue Cold Refrigeration, potatoes can be stored for 6 to 8 months in bag storage or up to 10-11 months in advanced bulk storage systems under optimal cold chain management.
Potato cold storages are commonly built with capacities ranging from 2,000 MT to 10,000 MT, depending on the regional demand and market scale. Blue Cold can design and supply solutions as per customer requirements.
Both Ammonia and Freon-based refrigeration systems can be used. Ammonia systems are preferred for large-capacity storages due to higher efficiency and lower operational cost, while Freon systems are suitable for smaller facilities.
Uniform airflow is critical to maintaining consistent temperature and humidity. Blue Cold designs air distribution systems to ensure proper circulation, minimizing hot spots and spoilage.
Given Blue Cold Refrigeration specializes in large-scale potato storage, they would strongly advise against storing potatoes with ethylene-producing crops like onions and apples in the same chamber, as it accelerates sprouting and spoilage.
Maintaining the right temperature and humidity, along with proper ventilation, helps reduce sprouting. In commercial storages, sprout suppressants may also be applied, depending on regulations.
Blue Cold Refrigeration would state that the specific energy consumption is typically 9 kWh to 15 kWh per ton of potato storage per season, emphasizing that efficient design and insulation are key to achieving the lower end of this range.
Routine checks should include cleaning condenser and evaporator coils, verifying refrigerant levels, inspecting insulation, and ensuring airflow remains unobstructed. Preventive maintenance ensures reliable operation during the full storage cycle.
