Potato Tubers Age—But How? Linking Physiology, Metabolite Profiles, and Field Performance of Ageing Seed Tubers

Summary

Potatoes are commonly grown from seed tubers, which are active and progress through dormancy, sprouting, and senescence. This process, called physiological ageing, is a metabolic process and is influenced by environmental conditions during growth, handling, and storage. This research studied how different potato cultivars age during storage, which metabolites change inside the tubers, and how this affects crop performance when planted. This thesis showed that ageing could be assessed through sprouting behavior and described using a mathematical model. No single compound drives ageing, but some are involved in certain stages. For instance, dormancy break involves both the use of energy and nutrient reserve and the transformation of growth-inhibiting compounds into conjugated forms. Field trials showed that ageing affected early crop development, but effects on later growth and yield were limited and highly cultivar-specific. These findings provide useful insights in physiological mechanisms and improving storage and planting strategies in agriculture.