Influence of Temperature and Growth Regulators on Wound Periderm Formation of Potato Tuber

When a potato tuber is wounded, cork cambium is formed just beneath the wounded area. The cambium produces waterproofing Polymeric and Polyphenolic compounds known as Suberin that are deposited on the cell wall of the tissue. Little is known about the ideal conditions and endogenous factor(s) that control the formation of Suberized area, also called Wound Periderm (WP). In this study, we observed that WP formation is largely dependent on temperature. Among different temperatures (15°C - 35°C) tested, only 25°C promoted WP formation. Washing of the tissue discs immediately after cutting severely inhibited WP formation. However, keeping the discs for 4 days or more followed by washing failed to show any inhibitory effects. Finally, the washed tissue discs were treated with different plant hormones and among them, Abscisic acid showed a stimulatory effect in inducing WP formation.