General information on phytohormones and natural growth inhibitors; Principles of analysis of phytohormones and natural growth inhibitors; Biosynthesis of phytohormones and natural growth inhibitors; Functions of phytohormones and natural growth inhibitors; Regulatory functions of natural growth inhibitors and dormancy period; Characteristics of inhibitory effect of natural growth inhibitors; General problems of plant growth regulation.
This book represents the authors' lifetime dedication to the study of inhibitors and phytohormones as well as its practical applications for achieving a more sustainable agriculture. Their work focuses on the functions of various groups of active molecules, their direct effect upon plant growth, but also implications for their impact upon the surrounding environment are explored. The main idea of the book evolved from the need to determine a balance among natural growth inhibitors and phytohormones. This approach was pursued through a better understanding of their biochemical pathways, their effects on plants physiological functions, and their influence upon stress factors on plant ontogenesis. Therefore, this effort proposes a more holistic approach to the study of plant physiology, in which the plant-soil interactions are discussed, with a profound description of different allelochemicals and their effects on plants growth. A rigorous attention is also paid to discuss the role of microorganisms in ecosystems and their capability to synthesize physiologically active substances, which trigger also unique plant-microbial interactions. These synergies are leading scientists to the discovery of major breakthroughs in agriculture and pharmacology that are revolutionizing old epistemologies and thus, contributing to the emergence of a philosophy of interconnectedness for the whole biosphere.
What are plant growth regulators? In the title, and throughout the text, we have adopted this expression to describe a population of endogenous molecules and synthetic compounds of similar structure that are be lieved to play important roles in the regulation of plant differentiation and development. For many years, plant scientists have endeavoured to understand the nature and action of plant growth regulators and, as a result, an awesome quantity of written material now exists describing these chemicals and their effects. In this book we have aimed to distil this wealth of information into a more digestible form, and in particular we have focused our attention on a critical appraisal of the literature. The past few years have witnessed a change of emphasis in plant growth regulator research, which has been fuelled by powerful new techniques in molecular and cell biology. Today we can do more than just apply a plant growth regulator and quantify its effects; we have reached an exciting crossroads where plant scientists, molecular bio logists and chemists can pool their expertise and apply it to the out standing problems in this area. The combination of these three disciplines within the book is clear evidence of this. In keeping with a volume of this size, we have assumed that the reader has a sound knowledge of plant physiology and biochemistry. However, wherever possible, we have highlighted useful reviews which provide background information, along with recent publications that have contributed significantly to the literature.
Agriculture faces many challenges to fulfil the growing demand for sustainable food production and ensure high-quality nutrition for a rapidly growing population. To guarantee adequate food production, it is necessary to increase the yield per area of arable land. A method for achieving this goal has been the application of growth regulators to modulate plant growth. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are substances in specific formulations which, when applied to plants or seeds, have the capacity to promote, inhibit, or modify physiological traits, development and/or stress responses. They maintain proper balance between source and sink for enhancing crop yield. PGRs are used to maximize productivity and quality, improve consistency in production, and overcome genetic and abiotic limitations to plant productivity. Suitable PGRs include hormones such as cytokinins and auxins, and hormone-like compounds such as mepiquat chloride and paclobutrazol. The use of PGRs in mainstream agriculture has steadily increased within the last 20 years as their benefits have become better understood by growers. Unfortunately, the growth of the PGR market may be constrained by a lack of innovation at a time when an increase in demand for new products will require steady innovation and discovery of novel, cost-competitive, specific, and effective PGRs. A plant bio-stimulant is any substance or microorganism applied to plants with the aim to enhance nutrition efficiency, abiotic stress tolerance and/or crop quality traits, regardless of its nutrients content. Apart from traditional PGRs, which are mostly plant hormones, there are a number of substances/molecules such as nitric oxide, methyl jasmonate, brassinosteroids, seaweed extracts, strigolactones, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria etc. which act as PGRs. These novel PGRs or bio-stimulants have been reported to play important roles in stress responses and adaptation. They can protect plants against various stresses, including water deficit, chilling and high temperatures, salinity and flooding. This book includes chapters ranging from sensing and signalling in plants to translational research. In addition, the cross-talk operative in plants in response to varied signals of biotic and abiotic nature is also presented. Ultimately the objective of this book is to present the current scenario and the future plan of action for the management of stresses through traditional as well as novel PGRs. We believe that this book will initiate and introduce readers to state-of-the-art developments and trends in this field of study.
Plant hormones play a crucial role in controlling the way in which plants growand develop. Whilemetabolism providesthepowerand buildingblocks for plant life, it is the hormones that regulate the speed of growth of the individual parts and integrate these parts to produce the form that we recognize as a plant. In addition, theyplayacontrolling role inthe processes of reproduction. This book is a description ofthese natural chemicals: how they are synthesizedand metabolized; howthey work; whatwe knowoftheir molecular biology; how we measure them; and a description ofsome ofthe roles they play in regulating plant growth and development. Emphasis has also been placed on the new findings on plant hormones deriving from the expanding use ofmolecular biology as a tool to understand these fascinating regulatory molecules. Even at the present time, when the role of genes in regulating all aspects of growth and development is considered of prime importance, it is still clear that the path of development is nonetheless very much under hormonal control, either via changes in hormone levels in response to changes in gene transcription, or with the hormones themselves as regulators ofgene transcription. This is not a conference proceedings, but a selected collection ofnewly written, integrated, illustrated reviews describing our knowledge of plant hormones, and the experimental work that is the foundation of this knowledge.
Plant hormones playa crucial role in controlling the way in which plants grow and develop. While metabolism provides the power and building blocks for plant life it is the hormones that regulate the speed of growth of the individual parts and integrate these parts to produce the form that we recognize as a plant. In addition, they playa controlling role in the processes of reproduction. This book is a description of these natural chemicals: how they are synthesized and metabolized; how they work; how we measure them; and a description of some of the roles they play in regulating plant growth and development. This is not a conference proceedings but a selected collection of newly written, integrated, illustrated reviews describing our knowledge of plant hormones and the experimental work which is the foundation of this knowledge. The information in these pages is directed at advanced students and professionals in the plant sciences: botanists, biochemists, molecular biologists, or those in the horticultural, agricultural and forestry sciences. It is intended that the book should serve as a text and guide to the literature for graduate level courses in the plant hormones, or as a part of courses in plant or comparative development. Scientists in other disciplines who wish to know more about the plant hormones and their role in plants should also find this volume invaluable It is hoped that anyone with a reasonable scientific background can find valuable information in this book expounded in an understandable fashion.
Plant hormones play a crucial role in controlling the way in which plants grow and develop. While metabolism provides the power and building blocks for plant life, it is the hormones that regulate the speed of growth of the individual parts and integrate them to produce the form that we recognize as a plant. This book is a description of these natural chemicals: how they are synthesized and metabolized, how they act at both the organismal and molecular levels, how we measure them, a description of some of the roles they play in regulating plant growth and development, and the prospects for the genetic engineering of hormone levels or responses in crop plants. This is an updated revision of the third edition of the highly acclaimed text. Thirty-three chapters, including two totally new chapters plus four chapter updates, written by a group of fifty-five international experts, provide the latest information on Plant Hormones, particularly with reference to such new topics as signal transduction, brassinosteroids, responses to disease, and expansins. The book is not a conference proceedings but a selected collection of carefully integrated and illustrated reviews describing our knowledge of plant hormones and the experimental work that is the foundation of this information. The Revised 3rd Edition adds important information that has emerged since the original publication of the 3rd edition. This includes information on the receptors for auxin, gibberellin, abscisic acid and jasmonates, in addition to new chapters on strigolactones, the branching hormones, and florigen, the flowering hormone.
This is the first of the set of three volumes in the Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology, New Series, that will cover the area of the hormonal regulation of plant growth and development. The overall plan for the set assumes that this area of plant physiology is sufficiently mature for a review of current knowledge to be organized in terms of unifying principles and processes. Reviews in the past have generally treated each class of hormone individually, but this set of volumes is subdivided according to the properties common to all classes. Such an organization permits the examination of the hypothesis that differing classes of hormones, acting according to common principles, are determinants of processes and phases in plant development. Also in keeping with this theme, a plant hormone is defined as a compound with the properties held in common by the native members of the recognized classes of hormone. Current knowledge of the hormonal regulation of plant development is grouped so that the three volumes consider advancing levels of organizational complexity, viz: molecular and subcellular; cells, tissues, organs, and the plant as an organized whole; and the plant in relation to its environment. The present volume treats the molecular and subcellular aspects of hormones and the processes they regulate. Although it deals with chemically distinct classes of hormone, this volume stresses properties and modes of studying them, that are common to all classes.
Plant growth regulators consist of organic molecules produced synthetically and used to modulate plant growth. There are several classes of plant growth regulators, including auxin, gibberellin, abscisic acid, cytokinins, salicylic, jasmonic acid and ethylene, as well as more recently investigated brassinosteroids, strigolactones, polyamine, etc. These plant growth regulators have either promoting or inhibitory effects on plant growth and development by means of modification in plant secondary metabolism and gene regulation. Some of plant growth regulators may have safe issues in fields. More attention should be paid in the application of plant growth regulators. Researchers also try to find other regulators to do more field experiments, in order to reduce the amount of organic chemicals (e.g., traditional plant growth regulators) used. This book discusses the function, types, uses and safety of plant growth regulators. The effects of plant growth regulators on horticultural plants are specially introduced in this book. Fly ash and soil mycorrhizal fungi-released glomalin also get a lot of attention in this book.
