Using gibberellic acid to control sprouting of yam tubers

Abstract

Immersing yam tubers in gibberellic acid (GA3) solution (150 ppm) for 6 h after harvest controlled sprouting during storage for 45 days. The 6-h immersion was as effective as 24-h immersion. The advantage of this finding is that three times as many tubers can now be handled in an 18-h working day. Furthermore, using a 6-h immersion duration, a tank mix of GA3 was successively used in treating six batches of 21 tubers each without the GA3 solution losing its sprout-controlling potency. These findings indicate that GA3 could be economically used in controlling sprouting of yams offsetting the present high cost of the chemical.