Merryone - yes - theoretically. I thought that the attached was quite interesting?
However, our main crop have been in quite cool conditions for 2 months & are now telling me that they want to 'chit'.
Interesting, too, that 7C is the recommended min soil temp for planting.
Potatoes are naturally dormant for about two months. However, it is often necessary to store them for longer periods of time by extending the dormancy period and by keeping shrinkage to a minimum. Temperature and humidity are important factors in this respect. Suitable temperatures for long term storage are related to the eventual use of the potatoes.
For seed stock, temperatures of 3 to 5°C will delay sprouting for up to 8 months. For ware potatoes, 4 to 8°C will allow several months (4 - eight - you can't do figure 8 bracket!!) of storage without SERIOUS (my caps) sprouting, while lower temperatures increase the risk of sweetening, that is, the conversion of starch to sugar. Finally, for processing potatoes, a minimum temperature of 7 to 10° C is required in order to prevent discolouration and to keep sweetening to an absolute minimum. In stores with higher temperatures it is possible to control sprouting in ware and processing potatoes for up to 6-8 months by using a sprout supressant chemical.
Later - ooops! that's reading 3C low in a cross check with a 'certified' thermo.
