Effects of concentration and propagule age on the efficacy of gibberellic acid for breaking dormancy in potato minitubers

Abstract

SummaryThe effects of a post-harvest application of gibberellic acid (GA3) at various concentrations (0, 10, 25, 50, or 100 mg l–1) and for different periods of incubation (1, 2, or 3 h) on the breaking of dormancy and on sprouting in potato (Solanum tuberosum L., cv. Marfona) minitubers of two ages (freshly-harvested or 1 week after harvest) were investigated. Compared with untreated, control minitubers, GA3-treated minitubers showed a significantly shorter period of dormancy (46 d), especially when the minitubers were treated at all concentrations immediately after harvest (41 d). GA3 treatment had a greater effect on dormancy in freshly-harvested minitubers than in 1 week-old minitubers, probably because of the reduced uptake of GA3 solution after skin-set. At lower concentrations of GA3, the period of dormancy tended to decrease the longer the minitubers were immersed in the GA3 solution. In contrast, at higher concentrations of GA3, the duration of immersion only had an effect up to 2 h and any longer immersion was ineffective. The average number of sprouts was not affected by GA3 concentration, or by the time of incubation, but was significantly higher for freshly-harvested minitubers (1.4) than for 1 week-old minitubers (1.2). The lengths of the sprouts increased with an increase in GA3 concentration, especially in freshly-harvested minitubers. Consequently, immersing freshly-harvested potato minitubers in a low concentration of GA3 (up to 25 mg l–1) for up to 3 h effectively shortened the period of dormancy and led to the formation of sprouts of optimum length.