Submitted to: Proceedings Wisconsin Annual Potato Meetings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: January 25, 2013
Publication Date: February 5, 2013
Citation: Bethke, P.C. 2013. Potato tuber dormancy [abstract]. Proceedings Wisconsin Annual Potato Meetings. p. 15. Technical Abstract: The date that potato tubers begin to sprout must be carefully managed to maximize crop value. Spouting of fresh, chip and fry processing tubers during storage can decrease crop value, increase water loss and pressure bruising, and may promote pathogen entry. A lack of uniform sprouting in seed potatoes, especially those planted for early season production, leads to uneven canopy closure, changes tuber size distribution at harvest, and can decrease marketable yield. Tubers that do not sprout under environmental conditions favorable for sprouting, for example at a temperature of approximately 64°F, are said to be dormant. Numerous factors contribute to potato tuber dormancy including variety, developmental time, environmental conditions during tuber growth, tuber size, storage conditions, and exposure to endogenous and applied dormancy-breaking compounds. Examples of each of these factors are presented and how they influence potato tuber quality and seed potato performance are discussed.