Turnips

From Cargo Handbook - the world's largest cargo transport guidelines website
Infobox on Turnips
Example of Turnips
Turnip.jpg
Freshness facts
Optimum carrying temperature 0°C to 1°C
Highest freezing point -1,0°C
Acceptable product temp. at loading into containers Max. 2°C above carrying temperature
Optimum humidity 90% to 95%
Ventilation setting for containers 10 m³/hr
Storage life 4 to 5 months
Climacteric / non-climacteric Non-climacteric
Ethylene production Very low
Ethylene sensitivity Low
Modified / controlled atmosphere -
Potential benefits -
Availability
On demand

Turnips

Harvesting and Handling

Turnips have a small, white-fleshed root, often with the surface of the top-half purple, and hairy leaves. High quality turnips are firm, free of growth cracks, woodiness, rot, injury, and pithiness. Turnips are sold bunched with tops not less than 15 cm long, short-trimmed roots with tops not more than 10 cm long, and topped turnips with tops removed to not more than 2 cm.

Packaging turnips in perforated plastic bags helps keep the humidity high around the roots during marketing and reduces shrivelling. Dipping turnips in hot melted Paraffin Wax gives a glossy appearance and is of some value in reducing moisture loss during handling. However, waxing is primarily to aid in marketing and is not recommended before long-term storage.

Cooling and Storage

Topped turnips require storage conditions similar to those for topped Carrots. Turnips in good condition can be expected to keep 4 to 5 months at 0°C and high relative humidity. At higher temperatures (5°C and above) decay will develop much more rapidly than at 0°C.

Turnips are not sensitive to chilling temperatures and should be stored as cold as possible to freezing. Storage at warmer temperatures, >5°C accelerates weight loss and development of soft rot.

Controlled atmosphere considerations

CA storage of turnip was reported to have had only a slight to no effect.

Storage disorders

Alternaria rot, Anthracnose, Bacterial soft rot, Black rot, Downy mildew, Fusarium, Leaf spot, Mosaic virus, Pythium rot, Rhizoctonia rot, Rust, Watery soft rot.