Sprout stimulation of dormant intact tubers

Dip treatment with ethylene chlorhydrin¹ induced consistently rapid sprouting over a range of genotypes, particularly Solanum andigenum, characterised by long dormancy. All concentrations of ethylene chlorhydrin tested accelerated sprouting; 3 cc to 5 cc of chemical to a litre of water were found to be optimum. Compared to vapour treatment with ethylene chlorhydrin or rindite, sprouting response was not faster but also there was uniformity in sprouting behaviour unlike the erratic sprouting met with vapour treatment. Significant rotting of tubers observed with treatment was similar in single treatment (dip or vapour treatment) and triple treatment consisting of dip or vapour treatment of ethylene chlorhydrin or rindite followed by treatment of thiourea and GA; hence no additive effect of combined treatment was discernible. There were, however, clear indications that GA enhanced sprout growth significantly; the mean sprout length being 0.82 cm in the combined treatment and 0.30 cm in the single treatment. Conversely thiourea stimulated multiple development of buds in majority of eyes. Nearly 90 percent of eyes sprouted with 2–3 buds within 18 days of treatment as against 60.5 percent eyes sprouted with 1–2 buds without thiourea.