Influence of form and size of a root on the storage life of kitchen beetroot

Abstract

Table beet have a series of high-value parameters: good taste properties, healing-prophylactic importance, ability to longterm storage. There are many sorts of table beet, different by root form. Most widespread are ones of the round and cylindrical forms. At the same time plants of table beet at growing form roots of different masses. The aim of the study was to investigate the storage life of table beet depending on form and root sizes. The conducted studies give a possibility to substantiate scientifically an influence of table beet’ form and sizes on their storage life for determining its term. It has been established, that roots of the round form of the Kharkiv Bordo sort lost moisture more intensively at the expanse of breath and evaporation – 4.4–5.4 %. In the Vital sort with roots of the cylindrical form, mass natural losses were 4.1–5.1 %. At that more natural mass losses were in small roots with mass 150–300 g. Small roots were more inclined to sprouting at storage. Among sprouted roots, 1.6–1.8 % were small ones with mass 150– 300 g. More percent of sprouted roots was for ones with mass 500–700 g as 2.3–2.5 %. At that less percent of sprouted roots was in the Vital sort of the cylindrical form. Small roots with mass 150–300 g were more damaged by rots at storage – 10.4–12.3 %. Among roots of middle sizes, 6.0– 6.8 % were damaged by roots, among big ones – 4.5–4.7 %. It must be also noted, that cylindrical roots of the Vital sort were less damaged by rots at storage than round ones of the Kharkiv Bordo sort. Keywords: table beet, sort, storage, root form, root mass, losses