The Effect of Essential Oil Formulations for Potato Sprout Suppression

Abstract

The concerns over safety and environmental impact of synthetic pesticides such as chlorpropham (CIPC) has stimulated interest in finding environmentally benign, natural sprout suppressants, including essential oils. The effects of Chenopodium ambrosioides and Lippia multiflora essential oils on sprout growth and decay of stored potatoes has been investigated. Formulations of essential oils with alumina, bentonite, or kaolin, both with and without Triton X-100 additive, were tested. These formulations have been compared to the pulverized plant materials themselves as well as wick-volatilized essential oils. The results showed that the tested oils possess compositions that make them suitable for application as sprout suppressants. Additionally, the formulation seems to be able to reduce the volatility of the essential oil and artificially extend dormancy of stored potatoes.

Dose- and tissue-specific interaction of monoterpenes with the gibberellin-mediated release of potato tuber bud dormancy, sprout growth and induction of α-amylases and β-amylases

“…Oosterhaven et al 1995a, b;Baydar and Karadogan 2003;Kleinkopf et al 2003;Eshel et al 2009;Campbell et al 2010;Owolabi et al 2010;TeperBamnolker et al 2010). In contrast to CIPC, the inhibition of post-harvest tuber sprouting by monoterpenes from essential oils appears not to be by interference with the cell cycle, as S-carvone (CAR) has no effect on flow cytometric histograms of potato cell nuclei (Oosterhaven et al 1995a).…”

“…Carvone is also a major constituent of caraway oil (54.9% S-carvone). The essential oils including those from peppermint (our work), spearmint (Teper-Bamnolker et al 2010) and other species (Owolabi et al 2010), as well as carvone, menthol, menthone, limonene and other monoterpenes are known to act as potato tuber bud sprout inhibitors (e.g. Vaughn and Spencer 1991;Oosterhaven et al 1995a, b;Baydar and Karadogan 2003).…”

“…Alternative sprout inhibitors include essential oils extracted from plants like peppermint (Mentha piperita; PMO, peppermint oil), spearmint (Mentha spicata), or caraway (Carum carvi), as well as their volatile compounds (e.g. Oosterhaven et al 1995a, b;Baydar and Karadogan 2003;Kleinkopf et al 2003;Eshel et al 2009;Owolabi et al 2010;Teper-Bamnolker et al 2010). Volatile compounds from essential oils that inhibit sprouting include monoterpenes like menthol (major component of PMO) and the R-(-)-and S-(?…”

Sprout Suppressants in Potato Storage: Conventional Options and Promising Essential Oils—A Review

“…Owolabi et al [58,59] identified Lippia multiflora, Chenopodium ambrosioides, Cymbopogon citratus, and Zingiber officinale as promising sprout suppressants at temperatures 24 • C and above. L. multiflora and C. ambrosioides were found to suppress sprouting for up to 10 weeks in one cultivar [58].…”

Effect of Storage Temperature and Postharvest Tuber Treatment with Chemical and Biorational Inhibitors on Suppression of Sprouts During Potato Storage

“…DMN mode of action is still not clear, but it has been suggested that it may suspend/suppress normal cell division by inhibiting expression of genes that promote cell division or by enhancing expression of genes that inhibit cell division, which causes extension of dormancy period (Campbell et al 2010(Campbell et al , 2012Kleinkopf et al 2003). Other CIPC alternatives that have been found to suppress sprouting and sprout growth include natural compounds containing volatile monoterpenes and essential oils, such as cineole and eucalyptus oil (Vaughn & Spencer 1991, 1993Knowles & Knowles 2008), caraway oil (Gómez-Castillo et al 2013;Oosterhaven et al 1995;Şanli et al 2010;Teper-Bamnolker et al 2010), peppermint, spearmint, clove, and mint oils (Gómez-Castillo et al 2013;Kleinkopf et al 2003;Teper-Bamnolker et al 2010), menthe oil (Mehta & Kaul 2002), essential oils from aerial parts of Mentha spicata (Chauhan et al 2011) and essential oils from Chenopodium ambrosioides and Lippia multiflora (Owolabi et al 2010). Peppermint oil also has antioxidant and antimicrobial actions (Coleman et al 2001;Frazier et al 2004).…”