Meta‐Analysis of Acceptable Non‐Chlorpropham Sprout Suppressants

Potatoes ( Solanum tuberosum L.) experience significant post‐harvest losses due to tuber sprouting. Although several sprout suppressants are available for post‐harvest sprout control, previous reviews have largely been narrative and have not quantitatively synthesised their performance across studies. A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analysis (PRISMA)‐guided meta‐analysis was conducted using data from 45 studies to evaluate the efficacy of non‐chlorpropham sprout suppressants on sprout length and sprout number. The natural logarithm of the response ratio (ln R ) was used to quantify treatment effects. Results revealed that peppermint essential oil (EO) reduced sprout length by 88.9%, approaching the top‐performing synthetic suppressant, 3‐decen‐2‐one (92.5%). However, all other EO were less effective in comparison. Results indicate that sprout suppressants may have differential effects on sprout length and number. 1,4‐dimethylnaphthalene (DMN) reduced sprout length (82.2%) more than sprout number (53.6%). The effectiveness of sprout suppressants on sprout length decreased as storage temperature increased from ≤5°C. For long‐term storage of ware potatoes, suppressants that effectively reduce both sprout initiation and elongation may provide greater sprout control, whereas for seed potatoes, suppressants that primarily limit sprout length may be preferable to allow controlled sprouting before planting. Sprout suppressant efficacy varied with storage temperature, cultivar dormancy length, and application method, indicating that genotype‐specific responses and storage conditions should be considered when selecting sprout suppressants.