Role of ethylene on sprouting of onion bulbs (Allium cepa L.)

摘要

Rouge Amposta onions were harvested in August in the Mascara area of Morocco and dried. They were then injected with 100 ppm ethephon followed by a cold treatment at 9deg C for 3 weeks or no cold treatment. Other dried bulbs were dipped in 0.2 mM silver thiosulfate. Treated bulbs and untreated control bulbs were then stored in plastic trays in a dark room at 18deg C and 70% RH for 6 months. Ethylene production was low throughout storage. Ethephon had almost no effect on sprouting while silver thiosulfateslowed it down. Cold treatment encouraged the sprouting of ethephon-treated bulbs. None of the treatments had a significant effect on storage rot.