Studies on Pre-harvest Spray of Alpha-NAA on Potato Crop in Relation to Enhance Potato (<i>Solanum tuberosum</i> L.) Tubers Storage

The present investigation on a pre-harvest spray of alpha-1-naphthalene acetic acid (alpha-NAA) on potato crops in relation to improving the storage ability was undertaken in the Botany Department of Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, India on Solanum tuberosum cv. ‘Kufri Chandermukhi’. Sprout initiation was observed in tubers on the 20<sup>th</sup> day, with 4.0 x 10<sup>-4</sup> M application of alpha-NAA during storage. In control, it was prominently noticed on the first observation made on the 10<sup>th</sup> day (0.8 mm), whereas in the treated one, it was very small. These treatments were able to check the percentage of sprouting. Rottage was observed after the 40<sup>th</sup> day of storage. The decline in starch content was less in the treatment group than in the control group up to the 20 days, but a reverse trend was witnessed after that compared with initial values. The starch contents were significantly higher in treated tubers than untreated in most stages. After 40 days, per cent cumulative physiological weight loss values were 9.20, 9.62, and 10.33% in 4.0 x 10<sup>-4</sup> M alpha-NAA, 5.5 x 10<sup>-4</sup> M alpha-NAA, and control, respectively.