Dormancy release in potato tubers is reviewed in the context of recent biochemical and physiological research with particular emphasis on describing ambiguities in the literature. A complex picture of dormancy release emerges with hypothetical multiple roles for most major plant growth regulator groups which occur within the tuber. Current literature continues to support the “inhibitor/promoter” hypothesis with the critical events associated with dormancy release involving a shift in the growth regulator ratio in favor of promoters and subsequent establishment of positive feedback between the bud and the mobilized food reserves. Dormancy release by external chemical agents possesses immediate practical applications such as dormancy breaking of seed tubers for export or local use, incorporation into seed multiplication programs and rapid post-harvest disease testing procedures. In addition, research using these chemical agents as experimental probes should prove useful in exploring the control mechanisms associated with dormancy release.