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Potato Tuberisation Responses to Drought and a Film-Forming Antitranspirant
Oluwatoyin Favour Olu-Olusegun1, Aidan Farrell2, James Monaghan1
1Crop Science Group, Harper Adams University, Newport, Shropshire TF10 8NB, UK.
Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 15, 2026
Summary
Film-forming antitranspirants (di-1-p-menthene) improved potato water status and tuber yield under moderate drought. While beneficial for tuber number and size, it did not fully replace irrigation needs.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Plant Physiology
- Crop Science
Background:
- Moderate drought impacts potato tuberization and yield.
- Film-forming antitranspirants are explored for drought tolerance in crops.
- Understanding antitranspirant effects on potato tuber development is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of a film-forming antitranspirant (di-1-p-menthene) on potato tuberization under moderate drought.
- To assess the effects of antitranspirants on leaf water status, stolon traits, and tuber yield and size distribution.
Main Methods:
- Two pot experiments were conducted under controlled polytunnel and glasshouse conditions.
- Moderate drought was imposed during tuber initiation and early bulking.
- Leaf relative water content, stolon traits, tuber yield, and size distribution were measured.
Main Results:
- Moderate drought reduced leaf relative water content, stolon number, and tuber set.
- The antitranspirant (VGDT) significantly increased leaf relative water content under drought.
- VGDT enhanced total tuber number and increased the proportion of large tubers (≥9 cm).
Conclusions:
- Film-forming antitranspirants can mitigate drought-related losses in potato tuberization.
- Antitranspirants improve plant water status and tuber yield under moderate drought stress.
- Antitranspirants are a complementary tool, not a replacement for irrigation, for managing potato drought stress.
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