Effect of gamma radiation on sprout inhibition and nutritional value of potato

Potato (solanum tuberosum) is an economical food crop since it provides a cheap source of energy to the human beings. the present study was focused to enhance the shelf life of potatoes by gamma radiation and its effect on the nutritional value of potatoes. the potato samples were irradiated using 0.05,0.10 and 0.15 kgy of doses and were stored at room temperature after irradiation. various parameters were studied for both the control and irradiated samples. the study concluded that there was no significant difference in the proximate analysis of potato. at 0.15 kgy the nutritional value of the entire treated sample was considered acceptable as the gamma radiation has significant effect on the shelf life of potatoes without affecting its nutritional composition. the sensory properties of treated samples were also satisfactory. it was also concluded that irradiation treatment could be effectively used to protect from sprouting and enhance shelf life. samples which were irradiated at dose 0.15 kgy showed 75.45% moisture content after three weeks of storage,0.70% ash content,2.3% fiber content,0.47% fat content,1.8% protein content and 19.28% carbohydrate content and was optimized as favorable dose for potato to manage the shelf life.