A Multi-Year Survey of Stem-End Chip Defect in Chipping Potatoes (Solanum Tuberosum L.)

One of the most serious tuber quality concerns of US chip potato growers is stem-end chip defect, which is defined as a localized post-fry discoloration in and adjacent to the vasculature on the stem end portion of potato chips. The severity and incidence of stem-end chip defect vary with growing location and variety, but quantitative data describing this are not available. A multi-year and location study was conducted to evaluate chipping potato varieties for tolerance to stem-end chip defect formation and to quantify defect severity and incidence regionally and temporally. It was observed that higher night temperature in July and August compared to the regional 30-year history was consistently associated with higher SECD severity. Average SECD severity was linearly correlated with incidence of chips having severe SECD. Chip color and tuber stem-end glucose content were significantly correlated with average SECD score across all treatments. Multiple tuber samplings from early growing season to mid post-harvest storage demonstrated that some varieties, such as Nicolet and Pike, had fewer stem-end chip defects than other varieties across years and locations. Stem-end chip defect was rarely observed prior to harvest, but was apparent at the time of harvest on multiple varieties depending on the year and location. Tuber stem-end sucrose and glucose prior to harvest were not indicators of defect development at harvest and out of storage, but pre-harvest chip color was significantly correlated with defect severity 10 weeks after preconditioning was finished.