This work compares PEF-induced effects in potato tissue at temperatures below and above ambient (T = 2-45 degrees C). The potato (Agata) was selected for investigation. The PEF treatment using electric field strength E = 200-800 V/cm and bipolar pulses of near-rectangular shape with pulse duration t(p) (=100 mu s) was applied. The PEF experiments were done under non-isothermal conditions with temperature increase owing to the effect of ohmic heating. The linear temperature dependencies of electrical conductivity of potato tissue with different values of the electrical conductivity disintegration index, Z, were observed. However, the values of the conductivity temperature coefficient, alpha, at the reference temperature T-r = 25 degrees C were noticeably different for the intact (alpha(i) = 0.0255 +/- 0.0003 degrees C-1) and completely damaged (alpha(d) = 0.031 +/- 0.009 C-1) potato tissues. This difference was explained by the impact of temperature on the structure of the damaged tissue. The non-isothermal PEF treatment was shown to be an effective tool for electroporation at low temperatures (below ambient). For initial temperature T-i = 2 degrees C, the most power saving was the PEF treatment at E = 200V/cm (W approximate to 20-30 kJ/kg), and the PEF treatment at E = 400-800 V/cm required more power consumption (W approximate to 50-80 kJ/kg). The PEF treatment at the fixed value of E (=400 V/cm) showed that the total power consumptions (accounting for PEF treatment and thermal heating), required for high level of tissue disintegration, Z approximate to 0.9, were comparable for initial temperatures T-i = 2 degrees C (W approximate to 50-80 kJ/kg) and T-i = 20 degrees C (W approximate to 80 kJ/kg) and were noticeably higher for initial temperature T-i = 40 degrees C (W approximate to 150 kJ/kg). (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.