The effect of CO2 and ethylene treatments were evaluated on the dormancy period of 'Macaca' minitubers produced in greenhouse during two growing seasons. Minitubers were treated soon after harvesting. The treatments were suffocation with ethylene (1000 mL L-1) during 72 h; CO2 (20 %) during 72 h; calcium carburet (200 g m-3) during 72 h; and 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) (1 mL L-1) during 24 h (only for second season); and immersion with 2-cloroetil fosfonic acid (840 mg L-1) during 5 s. Control minitubers did not receive any treatment. The experiment was a factorial (seasons x treatments) in a randomized design, with four replications of 15 minitubers. Respiration and ethylene production were evaluated every week. Sprout number and percentage of sprouted tubers were evaluated every 15 days to obtain the area under progression curve. Minitubers produced during the first season presented shorter dormancy than those produced during the second season. First season minitubers presented an increase in respiration rate during storage that was clearly related to sprouting. CO2 and ethylene did not reduce, while 1-MCP enhanced dormancy period of potato cv. Macaca minitubers.
Solanum tuberosum; ethephon; 1-MCP; acetylene; sprouting
