Abstract
The effect of cold treatment on sugar concentration, sweetness and decay in Ipomoea roots was studied. Storage temperature were 3, 5, 10 and 13°C. Sugar concentrations, with the exception of maltose, varied significantly with changes in storage temperatures from 3 to 13°C. The sucrose concentrations in roots stored at 3 to 5°C increased more rapidly than that at 10 to 13°C. In contrast to the change in sucrose concentration, glucose and fructose concentrations increased slightly during storage at 3 to 5°C, whereas these concentrations increased significantly during storage at 10 to 13°C. Consequently, the sweetness calculated from these sugar concentrations was higher at 5 or 10°C storage than at other temperatures. However, roots stored at 5°C exhibited decay as a result of chilling injury. These observations suggest that storage at 10°C is more effective for increasing sweetness in Ipomoea roots.
