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 effective potato sprout inhibitor, was examined under semi-practical storage 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 effectively than IPC/CIPC mixtures. Furthermore, carvone showed antifungal activity against various fungal diseases in in-vitro experiments. In in-situ experiments, promising antifungal activity was obtained against the potato storage diseases Fusarium sulphureum, Phoma exigua var. foveata and Helminthosporium solani. Carvone was recently launched as a sprout inhibitor for potatoes in the Netherlands under the trade name ''Talent''.