Effect of triacontanol on sprout growth in potatoes (Solanum tuberosum)

Abstract The effects of a 3‐min dip in various concentrations (0–1–100 mg litre −1 ) of a triacontanol emulsion on sprout growth from single‐eye pieces of seed potato ( Solanum tuberosum L) tubers were assessed after 10 days' growth in acid‐washed sand. Treatment effects were compared with those resulting from immersion for 3 min in a mixture of gibberellic acid (6 mg litre −1 ) and ethrel (4 mg litre −1 ). Triacontanol dips were more effective than gibberellic acid and ethrel. Treatments increased the fresh weight of sprouts but had little effect on sprout number per tuber fragment. The optimum concentration of triacontanol was 10 mg litre −1 .