Using the Tabor atomizer system to maintain weight and firmness in stored potato tubers

• Published in: American journal of potato research Vol. 77; no. 3; pp. 203 - 205
• Main Authors: Afek, U, Orenstein, J, Nuriel, E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Springer 2000; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Atomizers; Atomizing; Biological and medical sciences; Compressed air; duration; Firmness; fogging; food storage; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Harvesting. Postharvest. Storage; Potatoes; Relative humidity; Tubers; Vegetative propagation. Sowing and planting. Harvesting; water; Weight; Production quality; Solanum tuberosum; Environmental factor; Firmness; Nebulizor; Controlled atmosphere; Mass; Potato; Storage; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Tuber; Spermatophyta; Tuber plant; Solanaceae; Air humidity
• ISSN: 1099-209X; 1874-9380
• DOI: 10.1007/BF02853946

A new fogger — the Tabor Atomizer System — features unique atomizers, based on compressed air and water. The droplets produced have a very small mass (less than 10m,) and behave like a dry cloud, producing 96%–98% relative humidity (RH) without depositing free water on the tubers. After 6 months of storage at 10 C, with 96%–98% RH applied with the Tabor Atomizer System (room A), 92%–94% applied with a spin-disk humidifier (room B), and 82%–86% with no added humidity (room C), the weight losses for stored potatoes were 2%, 7%, and 12%, respectively. The firmness of the tubers expressed as newtons (N) required to penetrate the tubers before storage and after 6 months in room A, B, or C was 76, 74, 68, or 63 N, respectively.