Tubering

Tubering is the developmental process by which certain plants form tubers, swollen underground storage organs derived from modified stems or roots. In cultivated potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), tubers typically arise from subterranean stolons, horizontal shoots that emanate from the base of the plant. Under environmental cues such as short day length and cooler temperatures, stolons shift from elongation to tuber initiation; the tips swell and accumulate starch, giving rise to mature tubers. Buds on the surface, called eyes, can sprout to produce new shoots and plants.

In other species, tubers can originate from either stem tissues (as in potato tubers) or from modified roots (as in some yams and sweet potatoes), so tubering can involve different anatomical pathways.

Regulation of tubering involves environmental signals and hormonal control. Photoperiod and temperature influence the timing of tuber initiation; hormonal signals, including auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins, and abscisic acid, interact with carbohydrate signaling to promote storage-tissue development and starch accumulation. Genes control the transition from vegetative growth to storage organ formation, and breeding focuses on yield, tuber size distribution, dormancy, and disease resistance.

Practically, tubering is central to the agronomy of tuber crops: tubers serve as vegetative propagation units, carbohydrate reserves, and a key harvest product. Postharvest handling must consider dormancy and sprouting tendencies to determine storage conditions and shelf life.