Inhibition of potato sprouting by 2, 3, 5, 6-tetrachloronitrobenzene and methyl ester of a-naphthaleneacetic acid

Abstract

Three separate though related tests are reported in this paper. It was found that 2, 3, 5, 6-tetrachloronitrobenzene (TCNB) was an excellent inhibitor to sprouting when used in bins of 10 or 25-bushel capacity, although it was a poor sprout inhibitor when used on lots of 10 or 12 potato tubers. TCNB was ineffective when treated tubers were exposed to free air circulation, as demonstrated by the excessive sprouting of tubers at the surface of treated bins. Methyl ester of a-napthaleneacetic acid (MENA) proved to be a good sprout inhibitor when used in either small or large lots of potatoes. Poor sprout inhibition resulted from the use of methyl ester of 2, 4, 5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4, 5-T).