Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Moisture Content, Topping and Variety on Mechanical Damage of Potato Tubers

Every year, more than 25,000 hectares of land in Hamedan province are allocated for cultivation of potato. Generally, tillage, planting, crop management and harvesting of this product are done by machines, and usually post-harvesting operations such as sorting are also mechanized and done by sorting machine. Due to the sensitivity of potato tubers to mechanical damages during harvesting time, a large number of potato tubers could be damaged, leading to more spoilage and increase in the percentage of damage during storage. Based on the results and recommendations mentioned in papers regarding the rate of mechanical damages to potatoes, a systematic review and meta-analysis method were used. Articles published in scientific journals, final reports of research projects, and related articles presented in congresses, as well as dissertations were reviewed using standard keywords. Then, we used those papers which met the criteria for entering the research. The results showed that the harvesting potato tubers in wet soil, compared to harvesting potato tubers in dry soil, could reduce mechanical damages up to 51.71 percent. If the plants are topped before harvesting, the damages can be reduced 1.62 percent. The results also showed that the Agria variety, comparing to Jilli, Sante, and Fontane varieties, is more sensitive to mechanical damages, so it should be harvested with more caution carefully.