AGRICULTURE & G.K.
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Agriculture & GK APP
AGRICULTURE & G.K. COACHING INSTITUTE
Agriculture & GK
AGRICULTURE & G.K. COACHING INSTITUTE
AGRICULTURE & G.K. COACHING INSTITUTE
PLANT HORMONES AND THEIR FUNCTIONS
➢ Plant hormones or plant growth regulators area organic substances produced
by higher plants that alter growth patterns and/or maintenance of the plant.
➢ Thimann (1948) proposed the term phytohormone as these hormones are
synthesized in plants.
➢ Hormones regulate cellular processes in targeted cells locally and when
moved to other locations, in other locations of the plant.
➢ Hormones also determine the formation of flowers, stems, leaves, the
shedding of leaves, and the development and ripening of fruit.
➢ The word hormone is derived from Greek, meaning 'set in motion.' Plant
hormones affect gene expression and transcription levels, cellular division, and
growth.
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CLASSES OF PLANT HORMONES :
Auxin -
➢ The concept of chemical messengers in plants was proposed by Charles Darwin and
his son, Francis in 1881, who spent time looking at the phenomenon of phototropism
in wheat seedlings.
➢ Plant shoots are positively phototropic. When a seedling is illuminated from one side
the shoot will bend towards the light.
➢ The directional growth makes sense, since plants need light for photosynthesis.
However, Darwin found that if the coleoptiles of the wheat seedling were removed the
plant no longer curved towards light.
➢ They did a number of experiments and determined that a chemical located in the
coleoptile travelled to the region of elongation and effected a differential elongation of
cells furthest from the light sources.
➢ The chemical was subsequently studied and named it as auxin by Frits Went in 1926.
➢ Chemically auxin is indole acetic acid (IAA) which is synthesized from tryptophan.
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Functions of Auxin :
➢ Stimulates cell elongation
➢ Stimulates cell division in the cambium and, in combination with cytokinin in tissue
culture
➢ Stimulates differentiation of phloem and xylem
➢ Stimulates root initiation on stem cuttings and lateral root development in tissue
culture
➢ The auxin supply from the apical bud suppresses growth of lateral buds
➢ Delays leaf senescence
➢ Can inhibit or promote (via ethylene stimulation) leaf and fruit abscission
➢ Can induce fruit setting and growth in some plants
➢ Involved in assimilate movement toward auxin possibly by an effect on phloem
transport
➢ Delays fruit ripening
➢ Stimulates growth of flower parts
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Gibberellins -
➢ The discovery of gibberellins (GA) is created to Ewiti Kurosawa who found that a
fungus was responsible for abnormal rice seedling growth, called the “foolish
seedling” disease.
➢ The fungus was Gibberella fujikuroi, hence the hormone named as Gibberellin.
Many seeds contain a variety of different gibberellins.
➢ GA’s are produced in roots and younger leaves.
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Functions of Gibberellins :
➢ Stimulates bolting/flowering in response to long days.
➢ Breaks seed dormancy in some plants which require stratification or light to induce
germination.
➢ Stimulates enzyme production (a-amylase) in germinating cereal grains for
mobilization of seed reserves.
➢ Induces maleness in dioecious flowers (sex expression).
➢ Can cause parthenocarpy (seedless) fruit development.
➢ Can delay senescence in leaves and citrus fruits.
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Cytokinins -
➢ Cytokinin play an important role in cytokinesis process.
➢ Cytokinin are naturally synthesised in the plants where rapid cell division occurs
e.g. root apices, shoot buds, young fruits, etc.
➢ Movement of cytokinin is basipetal and polar.
❖ Natural : Zeatin (corn kernels, coconut milk), isopentenyladenine
❖ Synthetic : Kinetin, benzyladenine, diphenylurea, thidiazuron
Functions :
➢ It promotes lateral and adventitious shoot growth and used to initiate shoot
growth in culture .
➢ Helps in overcoming apical dominance induced by auxins
➢ Stimulate the formation of chloroplast in leaves
➢ Promotes nutrient mobilization and delay leaf senescence
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Abscisic Acid -
➢ Abscisic acid (ABA) is a hormone that functions by inhibiting growth activities in
times of environmental stress rather than by promoting growth.
➢ It often serves as an antagonist to the other growth promoting hormones in plant.
➢ ABA which is also synthesized from mevalonic acid, got its name from erroneous
belief that it promoted the formation of abscission layers in leaves and fruits.
➢ It is also called “stress hormone” as it increases the tolerance of plants.
Functions :
➢ Induces abscission of leaves and fruits
➢ Inhibits seed germination
➢ Induces senescence in leaves
➢ Accelerates dormancy in seeds that is useful for storage purpose
➢ Stimulates closure of stomata to prevent transpiration under water stress
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Ethylene -
➢ It acts as a growth promoter as well as an inhibitor.
➢ Occurs in gaseous form.
➢ It is synthesized in the ripening fruits and tissues undergoing senescence.
➢ It regulates many physiological processes and one of the most widely used hormones
in agriculture.
Functions :
➢ It hastens the ripening of fruits
➢ Controls epinasty of leaves
➢ Breaks seed and bud dormancy
➢ Stimulates rapid elongation of petioles and internodes
➢ Promotes senescence and abscission of leaves and flowers
➢ Induces root growth and root hair formation thereby increasing the absorption surface
➢ Stimulates femaleness in monoecious plants
➢ Apical hook formation in dicot seedlings
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OTHER IDENTIFIED PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS
1. Salicylic acid
➢ It activates genes in some plants that produce chemicals that aid in the defense
against pathogenic invaders.
2. Jasmonates
➢ They are produced from fatty acids and seem to promote the production of
defense proteins that are used to fend off invading organisms.
➢ They are believed to also have a role in seed germination, and affect the storage
of protein in seeds, and seem to affect root growth.
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3. Plant peptide hormones
➢ They encompasses all small secreted peptides that are involved in cell-to-cell
signaling.
➢ These small peptide hormones play crucial roles in plant growth and development,
including defense mechanisms, the control of cell division and expansion, and
pollen self-incompatibility.
4. Polyamines
➢ They are strongly basic molecules with low molecular weight that have been found
in all organisms studied thus far.
➢ They are essential for plant growth and development and affect the process of
mitosis and meiosis.
5. Nitric oxide (NO)
➢ It serves as signal in hormonal and defense responses.
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