Plant Growth Regulators-Part
1
Kami
October 2021
Plant Hormone
(Phytohormones)
• Signal molecules produced within plants,
that occur in extremely low concentrations.
• Plant hormones control all aspects of
growth and development,
List of Plant Hormones and Their Effect
Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs)
• Synthetic chemicals
• Applied exogenously
• Their advantage over Hormones:
• Cheaper to make and apply
• More stable structure
• As plant tissues are less sensitive
to them, they have to be applied
in larger amount which makes
their management easier
• They are also more active
Works as Auxin hormone
PGR Classification
Class Example Trade name (example)
• Source: Antiauxins clofibric acid
http://www.alanwood.net/pesticide Auxins 2,4-D Depitox
s/class_plant_growth_regulators.ht
ml Cytokinins Zeatin
Defoliants calcium cyanamide Amvista Chafe
Ethylene Releasers Ethephon Ethrel
Ethylene Inhibitors Aviglycine
Frost Protectants heptamaloxyloglucan
Gametocides Fenridazon
Growth Inhibitors Butralin
Growth Retardants chlormequat Citadel
Growth Stimulators Triacontanol
https://www.agricentre.basf.co.uk/en/Products/Product-Search/Plant-Growth-Regulator/3C-
Chlormequat-750.html
List of Plant Hormones and Their Effect
Auxin-Elongation Cells
• In the shoots, auxin stimulates cell elongation and thus high
concentrations of auxin promote growth (cells become larger)
• In the roots, high concentrations of auxin inhibits cell
elongation (but very low concentration can stimulate growth)
Auxin Role in Plant Tropisms
• Tropism: Hormonal controlled response of a plant to a stimulus that acts
with greater intensity from one direction than another.
• The Cholodny-Went theory ( proposed in 1927), which states that plant
tropisms in roots and shoots are due to the unequal distribution of auxin in
response to light or gravity
• Important types of tropism include:
• Phototropism (response to light),
• Gravitropism (response to gravity)
• Hydrotropism (response to water)
• Tigmotropism (response to mechanical stimulation)
Hydrotropism
Recent studies believe Auxin
does not play a role:
https://www.cell.com/molec
ular-plant/pdf/S1674-
2052(16)00034-4.pdf
Thigmotropism
• Positive Thigmotropism is shoots
• Tendrils in grapes
• Climbing stems in runner beans
• Negative Thigmotropism in roots (Gravitropism): roots have a
negative touch response, meaning when they feel an object, they
would grow away from the object. This allows the roots to go through
the soil with minimum resistance.
Gravitropism
Positive Gravitropism
To understand gravitropism you
should know:
• PIN genes are found exclusively in
the genomes of multicellular
plants and play an important role
in regulating asymmetric auxin
distribution
• Statoliths: dense starch-filled
amyloplasts within columella
cells
Root Positive Gravitropism-Amyloplasts Role
Gravitropism-Root Response to Gravity
Phototropism
• Growth of plant aerial organ toward light source is positive
phototropism. Root shows negative phototropism
Phototropism and Auxin
List of Plant Hormones and Their Effect
Auxin-Apical Dominance
Auxin-Apical Dominance
• https://youtu.be/LfeBAWbL6Ys
• Chrysanthemums cut flower production (3:25 to 3:40)
List of Plant Hormones and Their Effect
Auxin-Adventitious Root
• plant roots that form from any non-root tissue
Corn crop
Auxin Treatment and Cutting Rooting
Rooting hormone treated
Control
List of Plant Hormones and Their Effect
Auxin-Ethylene Induction
• ACC synthase is induced by several stresses including flooding,
wounding, IAA and auxinic herbicides
List of Plant Hormones and Their Effect
Auxin-Abscission
• Young leaves and fruits produce auxin and so
long as they do so, they remain attached to
the stem.
• Normally, the auxin level of the stem side of
the abscission zone is probably maintained
due to basipetal transport of auxin from the
stem tip while the source of the auxin on the
blade side of the abscission zone is the blade
or lamina of leaf itself.
• relative concentration of auxin on two sides of
the abscission zone which controls abscission.
When the level of auxin declines, a special
layer of cells — the abscission layer — forms
at the base of the petiole or fruit stalk.
• Soon the petiole or fruit stalk breaks free at
this point and the leaf or fruit falls to the
ground.
Auxin-Abscission
List of Plant Hormones and Their Effect
GAs and Internode Elongation
• Elongation of internodes involves many cell
divisions and is followed by cell elongation.
List of Plant Hormones and Their Effect
GAs-Seed Germination
• Gibberellins cause seed germination by
breaking the seed's dormancy and
acting as a chemical messenger.
• Absorption of water stimulates
germination
• Embryo synthesizes gibberellin in
response to water uptake and ….
•
List of Plant Hormones and Their Effect
Cytokinins-Apical Dominance
Mainly sourced from root
system and transferred by
xylems
Cytokinins
vs. Auxin
Auxins and Cytokinins in Tissue Culture
List of Plant Hormones and Their Effect
Cytokinins-Leaf Senescence
List of Plant Hormones and Their Effect
ABA-Stomata Closure
List of Plant Hormones and Their Effect
List of Plant Hormones and Their Effect
ABA-Leaf Senescence
• ABA induces senescence by increasing biosynthesis of ethylene. It
also can induce senescence directly and independently
List of Plant Hormones and Their Effect
Ethylene-Climateric Fruits
