U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 close



Research
                Research Home
                            National Programs
                            Research Projects
                            Scientific Manuscripts
                            International Engagement
                            Scientific Software/Models
                            Databases and Datasets
                            Office of Scientific Quality Review
            Media
                News & Features
                            Multimedia
                            Briefing Room
                            Down on the Farm
                            Press Room
                            Science in Your Shopping Cart
                            Scientific Discoveries
                            Tellus
                            Under the Microscope
            About ARS
                About ARS Home
                            Staff Directory
                            Labs and Research Centers (Map)
                            Headquarter Offices
                            Organizational Chart
                            Employee Services (REE Employees Only)
                            Office of Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity
            Work With Us
                Work With Us Home
                            ARS Vacancies at USAJOBS
                            Careers at ARS Information
                            Scientific Collaborations
                            Extramural Agreements
                            1890 Faculty Research Sabbatical ProgramSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home News & Events News Articles Research News 2003





- ARS News & Events
- AgResearch Magazine
- Image Gallery
- News
- Search News & Events
- Pesticide Drift May Endanger Pollinators
- ARS Seeks a Fire Ant Fix
- Scientific Discoveries 2024
- ARS Featured Photos
- Down on the Farm
- Facebook Live Events
- Food and Nutrition Research Briefs
- News Archive
- Science in Your Shopping Cart
- Scientific Discoveries
- Social Media
- Under the Microscope
- AgResearch magazine
- ARS at Work
- ARS Memorial Lectures
- ARS Science Hall of Fame
- Citrus Disease (Huanglongbing)
- Contact Office of Communications
- Plant Hardiness Zone Map
- Mobile Apps
- Public Affairs Contacts
- Publications and Other Resources
- USDA Blog
- Videos

Archived Page
 This page has been archived and is being provided for reference purposes only. The page is no longer being updated, and therefore, links on the page may be invalid.
 Read the magazine story to find out more.
Spud Hub Checks for Postharvest Quality in Tubers
By Jan SuszkiwJuly 1, 2003
A postharvest "proving ground" for new tuber germplasm lines makes for busy times at the Agricultural Research Service's Potato Research Worksite in East Grand Forks, Minn.
There, ARS and state university scientists conduct 14,000-15,000 evaluations annually of the storage and processing characteristics of tuber specimens sent in from across the country. For plant breeders submitting germplasm samples, the tests complement field trials by showing how long-term storage affects tuber quality prior to fresh-market sales or processing into value-added commodities such as french fries and chips.
Storage evaluations include checking for signs of rot, shrinkage, injury and physiological disorders that cost the U.S. potato industry and consumers $400 million annually in postharvest losses. Sugar-end defect, a stress-related accumulation of simple sugars, is of particular interest because it can cause discoloration in tubers destined to become chips, which generate $6 billion in U.S. retail sales.
For other processed foods like french fries, evaluations include checks for color, length, texture, taste, oil uptake during frying and limpness--whether or not the cut fries droop over.
From August to October, breeders submit about 1,000 new potato lines for analysis at the worksite, which boasts 46,000 cubic feet of temperature-controlled storage bins and the latest in dehydration equipment. The facility also houses a potato chip and french fry processing line 1/20th the scale of commercial plants.
According to ARS plant physiologist Jeff Suttle, the worksite is the only public facility of this kind in the nation to routinely conduct such quality evaluations. NorValley, Snowden and Dakota Pearl are just a few of the program's many "graduates."
A longer article about the tests and related research appears in this month's issue of Agricultural Research magazine.
ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency.


Return to top


Research
                            Media
                            About ARS
                            Work With Us


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov