Potato sprouts is a commong problem observed all over the world, when potatoes are kept for a long time. This happens often in humid areas where moisture in the air favors the growth of the sprouts.
Why is potato sprout inhibition necessary?
Sprouting leads to conversion of potato starch into sugar. If you are storing large quantities of potatoes, it is important to stop the growth of these buds as they reduce airflow between the potatoes and thus favor incidence of other diseases.
Further, if you are a farmer, potato storage is an important activity for you because the long shelf life of the vegetable enables you to sell the produce when the market prices are high. But storage also increases the chances of formation of potato sprouts. And if you try to sell the sprouted potatoes, you will hardly find a consumer. Even if you manage to convince one, the potatoes will fetch a very low price.
How to Stop Potato Sprouts?
Potato sprouts are mostly controlled by using synthetic inhibitors. With the increasing demand for organic products, especially organic vegetables, it has become necessary to use organic means of controlling the sprouts. And when you have produced the potatoes organically, you don't want to miss out the organic label due to usage of synthetic sprout inhibitors. So can you control these buds organically? Research from the University of Idaho has revealed that essential oils can be used for organic control of potato sprouting. Examples of these essential oils include clove oil, spearmint oil and peppermint oil. Advantage of using volatile materials such as essential oils is that they do not leave any residues behind.
Hydrogen per oxide can also be used to control potato sprouts. Usage of hydrogen per oxide is permitted in some countries for preserving organic food and is in accordance with organic standards.
You should note that the essential oils and hydrogen per oxide do not prevent the budding of potato sprouts. On the other hand, they contain their growth by creating an atmosphere unsuitable for further growth. You will find new sprouts developing on the potatoes regularly, however, with repeated application of essential oils and hydrogen per oxide, further growth of these sprouts can be checked.
The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the USDA has also reported that certain aromatic compounds and jasmonates are effective in delaying potato sprouts. These compounds will soon be available in the market as organic potato sprout inhibitors.
Further Reading:
Organic and Alternative Methods for Potato Sprout Control in Storage
The photo on this page is credited to Tony Austin
Aromatic Compounds Suppress Potato Sprouts
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