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Sprouting of potatoes inhibited by plant hormones

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Summary

Sprouting of potatoes stored above 21° C. (70°C F.) has been prevented for some time by treatments with the plant hormone, methyl ester of alpha-naphthaleneacetic acid.

The amount was about 0.9 gms. (3/100 oz.) per bushel.

This chemical was the best of several tried.

It could be used in various ways, but among those employed the applications with dust and with shredded paper were most promising.

The treatments were effective on all varieties used including Chippewa, Cobbler, Red Warba, Russet Burbank, Russet Rural, and Triumph.

Treatments just before the advent of warm temperatures seemed most effective.

Some of the treated large Cobbler potatoes developed hard knobby growths usually in the bud area. In extreme cases these cracked open and blackened on the surface, but did not seem to rot more readily than the normal tissue.

Decay incident to sprouting was reduced by sprout inhibition.

The hormone treatment was not found to induce blackening of the tubers when they were boiled.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.

    J. E. Thomas & A. J. Riker

Authors
  1. J. E. Thomas
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  2. A. J. Riker
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Additional information

Published with the approval of the Director of the Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Station. These investigations were undertaken and carried forward in accord with advice from various members of the station’s staff particularly T. C. Allen, R. H. Burris, H. M. Darling, G. H. Rieman, J. H. Torrie, W. E. Tottingham, and J. C. Walker This work was supported in part by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.

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Thomas, J.E., Riker, A.J. Sprouting of potatoes inhibited by plant hormones. American Potato Journal 22, 104–113 (1945). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02863511

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