THE USE OF CARVONE IN AGRICULTURE - SPROUT SUPPRESSION OF POTATOES AND ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY AGAINST POTATO-TUBER AND OTHER PLANT-DISEASES

Carvone (derived from caraway seed), previously identified as an effec tive potato sprout inhibitor, was examined under semi-practical storag e conditions and compared with commonly used propham/chlorpropham (IPC /CIPC) mixtures. Carvone administered at regular intervals during long -term storage was able to control sprout growth equally well or more e ffectively than IPC/CIPC mixtures. Furthermore, carvone showed antifun gal activity against various fungal diseases in in-vitro experiments. In in-situ experiments, promising antifungal activity was obtained aga inst the potato storage diseases Fusarium sulphureum, Phoma exigua var . foveata and Helminthosporium solani. Carvone was recently launched a s a sprout inhibitor for potatoes in the Netherlands under the trade n ame ''Talent''.