Histological Analysis of Wound Healing in Potatoes Treated to Inhibit Sprouting 1. CIPC (Isopropyl-N-3-Chlorophenyl Carbamate) Treatments

SUMMARY Both wound periderm and sprouting were completely inhibited in freshly harvested cut potatoes treated by evaporation of CIPC (isopropyl-N-3-chlorophenyl carbamate) at 10 ppm and 100 ppm (based on tuber weight) and then incubated at 70–75°F and 88% relative humidity. At 1 ppm CIPC, sprouting at room temperature was only slightly retarded. Wound periderm was completely inhibited in the central tissues and markedly retarded in the cortex of the tubers. Application of CIPC did not prevent suberization at the wound surface, but the walls of intact cells immediately subjacent were less suberized than those of the cut cells. Concomitant with inhibition of wound periderm, there was a marked enlargement of those cells that would normally have given rise to the wound periderm. Variability of wound healing rates within different tissue zones of single tubers, and other variation between tubers, are considered significant to problems of sprout control and storage.