Effect of Low Levels of Ethylene on Sprouting of Potatoes in Storage

Abstract

<jats:p>Potato tubers (<jats:italic>Solanum tuberosum</jats:italic> cv. Sebago) were stored at 20 °C in air containing ethylene at &lt;0.005, 0.01, 0.1, 1.0, or 10 μL·L<jats:sup>-1</jats:sup> and the level of sprouting was measured over 35 days. The time for tubers to develop an average of one sprout per tuber was found to linearly increase as the log<jats:sub>10</jats:sub> ethylene concentration decreased with the effect present over the whole range of concentration. After 35 days of storage, the number of sprouts/tuber was inversely related to the ethylene concentration, but the weight of sprouts was only lower for tubers held in &lt;0.005 μL·L<jats:sup>-1</jats:sup> ethylene. The more numerous sprouts on tubers held in 10 μL·L<jats:sup>-1</jats:sup> ethylene were short and thick, while the less numerous sprouts on tubers in 0.01-1.0 μL·L<jats:sup>-1</jats:sup> were long, thin, and branched, and resulted in no significant difference in total sprout weight between these concentrations. Reducing the concentration of ethylene in the atmosphere around stored potatoes thus reduced sprouting, but levels &lt;0.01 μL·L<jats:sup>-1</jats:sup> are required to minimize both sprout emergence and sprout growth.</jats:p>

Efficiency of Ethylene Application on Seed Potato Tubers

“…Его кратковременное воздействие (72 ч в диапазоне 0,02-20 ppm) стимулировало начало прорастания клубней, а непрерывное действие при длительном хранении картофеля подавляло развитие ростков. Имеются сведения (5)(6)(7)(8), что этилен способствует увеличению числа ростков, но при этом препятствует их росту в длину (элонгации).…”

Gibberellic Acid and Ethephon Alter Potato Minituber Bud Dormancy and Improve Seed Tuber Yield

“…Application of exogenous ethylene appears to have a dual outcome on potato tuber dormancy (Rylski et al 1974), and can either shorten (Alam et al 1994;Rama and Narasimham 1982;Rekha et al 1983) or prolong (Korableva and Ladyzhenskaya 1995;Korableva et al 1989;Prange et al 1998;Sukhova et al 1993;Wills et al 2004) tuber dormancy. Activity of gibberellins in potato tubers is low at harvest, very low during dormancy and high during sprouting or dormancy release (Bialek 1974;Bialek and Bielinska-Czarnecka 1975;Smith and Rappaport 1961).…”