Sprout Inhibitor, Ethylene, on Seed Tuber Storability and Crop Productivity

Abstract Effective sprout inhibitors are increasingly needed in potato production due to regulatory changes restricting widely used chemistries such as chlorpropham (CIPC), with direct implications for storage management and international trade. Ethylene has emerged as a potential alternative, since it is naturally occurring in plants and exhibits sprout suppressant activity, though commercial outcomes may vary. To evaluate its effectiveness in seed storage systems for both sprout control and potential impacts on tuber set and size distribution, this single-year study examined ethylene treatments on three cultivars: Caribou Russet, Teton Russet, and Dakota Russet. In this study, ethylene effectively reduced sprouting in stored seed potatoes, hastened emergence, increased stem numbers, and reduced average tuber size, however, also reduced total yield (ca. 13%) compared to the controls. These findings indicate that ethylene can be an effective sprout suppressant for seed potatoes, but its use should be carefully targeted to production systems where smaller tubers are advantageous, as yield reductions may offset economic value.