Environmental, genetic and physiological factors governing potato endodormancy: from tuber development to endodormancy break
5 affiliations
- 1Postharvest Research Group, Cranfield University, Cranfield, United Kingdom
- 2Centre for Soil, Agrifood and Biosciences, Cranfield University, Cranfield, United Kingdom
- 3Solynta, Wageningen, Netherlands
- 4Agricultural Science R&D, PepsiCo International Limited, Leicester, United Kingdom
- 5Cools Agriscience Consultancy Limited, Crowthorne, United Kingdom
Abstract
Potato tuber dormancy and sprouting are complex traits with major implications for storage, quality, and postharvest management. Historically, these traits were controlled using chlorpropham (CIPC); however, following its ban in 2019 in the European Union, research aimed at understanding and managing dormancy and sprouting has increased substantially. Integrating findings across studies remains challenging due to the complexity of these traits, gaps in current knowledge, and differences in phenotyping approaches. In this review, we critically examine the challenges associated with evaluating dormancy and dormancy break progression and the current state of the knowledge across key developmental stages, from tuber formation, dormancy maintenance, to dormancy break. During tuber formation, we explore environmental signals that influence tuber induction and may contribute to dormancy extension, the reallocation of sugars from leaves to stolons, and the crosstalk amongst regulatory compounds. For dormancy maintenance, we analyse mechanisms of cell cycle arrest and highlight the roles of plant growth regulators in maintaining quiescence. Dormancy break is discussed in relation to sugar metabolism, symplastic reconnection, cell cycle reactivation, reactive oxygen species dynamics, and the influence of gibberellins and cytokinins. We also provide an overview of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with dormancy and sprouting identified across multiple studies. By structuring this synthesis around developmental stages rather than individual processes, we identify critical research gaps to support future research aimed at improving dormancy control in potatoes.
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BibTeX
@article{villamilbolanos2026environmental,
title = {{Environmental, genetic and physiological factors governing potato endodormancy: from tuber development to endodormancy break}},
author = {Fabian Villamil-Bolaños and Sofia Kourmpetli and Edwin van der Vossen and Gemma Chope and Katherine Cools and Ron van der Hulst and Ernst-Jan Eggers and M. Carmen Alamar},
journal = {Frontiers in Plant Science},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpls.2026.1858517},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2026.1858517},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Environmental, genetic and physiological factors governing potato endodormancy: from tuber development to endodormancy break
AU - Fabian Villamil-Bolaños
AU - Sofia Kourmpetli
AU - Edwin van der Vossen
AU - Gemma Chope
AU - Katherine Cools
AU - Ron van der Hulst
AU - Ernst-Jan Eggers
AU - M. Carmen Alamar
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/12
JO - Frontiers in Plant Science
DO - 10.3389/fpls.2026.1858517
UR - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2026.1858517
AB - Potato tuber dormancy and sprouting are complex traits with major implications for storage, quality, and postharvest management. Historically, these traits were controlled using chlorpropham (CIPC); however, following its ban in 2019 in the European Union, research aimed at understanding and managing dormancy and sprouting has increased substantially. Integrating findings across studies remains challenging due to the complexity of these traits, gaps in current knowledge, and differences in phenotyping approaches. In this review, we critically examine the challenges associated with evaluating dormancy and dormancy break progression and the current state of the knowledge across key developmental stages, from tuber formation, dormancy maintenance, to dormancy break. During tuber formation, we explore environmental signals that influence tuber induction and may contribute to dormancy extension, the reallocation of sugars from leaves to stolons, and the crosstalk amongst regulatory compounds. For dormancy maintenance, we analyse mechanisms of cell cycle arrest and highlight the roles of plant growth regulators in maintaining quiescence. Dormancy break is discussed in relation to sugar metabolism, symplastic reconnection, cell cycle reactivation, reactive oxygen species dynamics, and the influence of gibberellins and cytokinins. We also provide an overview of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with dormancy and sprouting identified across multiple studies. By structuring this synthesis around developmental stages rather than individual processes, we identify critical research gaps to support future research aimed at improving dormancy control in potatoes.
SN - 1664-462X
ER -