Abstract
Tuber dormancy can be released immediately in many commercially important potato cultivars by brief treatment (1-2 days) with bromoethane (BE) vapor at room temperature. The development of a large scale technology for BE application and safe removal through a capturing technique is necessary for successful application of this dormancy release method. Ideally, BE treatment of seed tubers would occur in a closed environment that would capture BE vapor in an unaltered form and allow controlled release for treatment of subsequent tuber lots. Results of screening studies for adsorbents indicate that the medium capacity activated carbon adsorbent, YAO has: i) a high capacity for BE; ii) a low capacity for water; and, iii) adsorbs and de-adsorbs BE quickly and easily. A plausible design of a large scale, dormancy release facility is presented. The proposed facility should meet present goals of the seed potato industry in an environmentally responsible manner.
Compendio
El reposo de los tubérculos de muchos cultivares de papa comercialmente importantes puede romperse inmediatamente por un tratamiento breve (1-2 días) con vapores de bromoetano (BE) a temperatura ambiente. El desarrollo de una tecnología para la aplicación de BE en gran escala y su remoción segura mediante una técnica de captura es necesario para una aplicación exitosa de este método de ruptura del reposo. Idealmente el tratamiento de los tubérculos-semillas con BE debe realizarse en un ambiente cerrado que retendrá los vapores de BE en forma inalterada y permita su liberación controlada para el tratamiento de lotes subsecuentes de tubérculos. Los resultados de estudios de evaluación y selección de adsorbentes indican que la capacidad media como adsorbente del carbón activado, YAO: i) tiene una capacidad alta para el BE; ii) una baja capacidad para el agua; y iii) adsorbe y de-adsorbe rápida y fácilmente al BE. Se presenta un diseño, aparentemente recomendable de instalación, para romper el reposo en gran escala. La instalación propuesta debe adaptarse a las metas actuales de la industria de semilla de papa de manera ambientalmente responsable.
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Coleman, W.K., Hawkins, G., McInerney, J. et al. Development of A dormancy release technology: A review. American Potato Journal 69, 437–445 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02852294
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02852294