The effects of (S)-(+)-carvone treatments on seed potato tuber dormancy and sprouting

Potato seed tubers may suffer from premature sprouting during storage, thus limiting their suitability for cultivation. Commonly used sprout suppressant treatments negatively affect bud viability and therefore a reliable method to inhibit bud development must still be found for seed tubers. The monoterpene carvone ((S)-(+)-carvone) was tested in small scale experiments. The vapour of this compound fully inhibited bud growth of tubers cv. Monalisa stored at 23 degrees C without affecting bud viability throughout 6 months of treatment. The most effective range of carvone vapour concentrations was between 0.34 and 1.06 mu mol mol(-1). With these qualities we can expect carvene to become a suitable sprout suppressant for seed tubers.