Bromoethane-induced changes in respiration rate, ethylene synthesis, and enzyme activities in potato tubers in relation to dormancy breakage

SummarySummaryThis paper describes the effect of bromoethane, which promotes the breakage of dormancy of potato tuber buds, on the metabolic activity of tubers, up to the stage of visible sprouting. The respiratory activity of treated tubers increased to a maximum 2 d after treatment, which, despite a subsequent decline, remained at a higher level than that of untreated controls for a further 8 d. Similarly, bromoethane induced a higher level of ethylene release from tubers over 10 d from its application compared to the controls. With the exception of invertases (acid and alkaline), all the other enzymes studied (i.e., hexokinase, fructokinase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, uridine-5-diphosphoglucose pyrophosphorylase, adenosine-5-diphosphoglucose pyrophosphorylase and -glucosidase) exhibited higher rates of activity in bromoethane-treated tubers than in the controls. From the results of this study, it appears that the application of bromoethane increased the metabolic activity of potato tubers prior to the first visible sign of bud sprouting, which occurred approx. 10 d after treatment.