S23 - Session O5 - Postharvest disease detection in stored potatoes using rapid volatile sensing techniques (send)

Authors: Sindhuja Sankaran *, Gajanan Kothawade, Worasit Sangjan, Austin Bates, Brenda Schroeder, Lav Khot

Potato postharvest disease management is an important component of storage facility management. In United States, large amounts of potato tubers are stored in facilities and the disease occurence can lead to significant production losses. Most bulk storage facilities do not have advanced sensing tools to detect and manage diseases at early stages. In this regard, advanced volatile sensing technologies offer non-destructive, early, objective and rapid detection of diseases through volatile biomarkers monitoring. In the presented research, we will summarize our major findings from several studies associated with biomarker identification using the standard gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis and potential of using field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometer for detection of soft rot and Pythium leak in two major potato cultivars grown in the United States (Russet Burbank and Ranger Russet). We anticipate that storage facility integrating such advanced sensing technologies can better manage storage conditions and prevent production losses.