Studies on the biochemical basis of physiological processes in the potato tuber : The pathway and control of translocation from the tuber.

The breakdown of starch in potato tubers which starts when buds begin to grow, stops if the sprouts are removed. The sprout controls the utilization and translocation of food reserves from the tuber. Movement of reserves can occur over the whole cross section of the tuber and is not restricted to the vascular shell. The presence of a growing sprout does not affect the permeability of the tuber tissue to sugar or amino acid.