Plant growth regulators in agriculture and horticulture : their role and commercial uses /

About the Editor p. ix
Contributors p. xi
Preface p. xiii
Chapter 1. Control of Root Formation by Plant Growth Regulators Jorge M. Vivanco and Hector E. Flores p. 1
Introduction and Historical Perspective p. 1
Plant Growth Regulators Involved in Root Formation and Development p. 2
Effect of Plant Growth Regulators in Root Initiation p. 12
Future Perspectives p. 16
Chapter 2. Manipulating Yield Potential in Cereals Using Plant Growth Regulators Ari Rajala and Pirjo Peltonen-Sainio p. 27
Plant Growth Regulators in Cereal Production: History and Present Day in a Nutshell p. 27
How Do Plant Growth Regulators Work? p. 29
Possibilities for Manipulating Formation and Realization of Yield Potential p. 31
Modifying Root Growth and Seedling Establishment p. 33
Modifying Straw Characteristics p. 35
PGR Effects on Stem Elongation and Lodging Resistance p. 37
PGR Effects on Buildup of Stem Reserves p. 38
Modifying Tillering and Number of Heads Per Unit Area p. 45
PGR Effects on Tiller Growth and Yield p. 46
Modifying Floret, Grain, and Spikelet Set p. 48
Modifying Grain-Filling Rate p. 49
Modifying Duration of Phenophases and Senescence Processes p. 50
Potential of Unconventional Plant Growth Regulatory Compounds for Enhancing Yield Formation p. 51
Some Future Prospects p. 54
Concluding Remarks p. 58
Chapter 3. Regulation of Gibberellins Is Crucial for Plant Stress Protection R. Austin Fletcher and Coralie R. Sopher and Nataraj N. Vettakkorumakankav p. 71
Introduction p. 71
Inhibitors of GA Biosynthesis p. 72
The Triazoles p. 74
Non-Chemical Regulation of Gibberellin p. 82
Summary p. 83
Chapter 4. Plant Growth Retardants in Ornamental Horticulture Martin P. N. Gent and Richard J. McAvoy p. 89
Introduction p. 89
Growth-Retardant Chemicals and Their Mode of Action p. 91
Control of Plant Height p. 97
Efficacy and Method of Application p. 108
Uptake, Movement, and Persistence in Plants p. 112
Phytotoxicity p. 117
Effect on Flowering p. 117
Plant Physiological Responses p. 124
Future Trends p. 130
Chapter 5. Role of Growth Regulators in the Postharvest Life of Ornamentals Margrethe Serek and Michael S. Reid p. 147
Postharvest Life of Ornamentals p. 147
Factors Affecting the Postharvest Life of Ornamentals p. 150
Growth Regulators and the Postharvest Life of Ornamentals p. 154
Chapter 6. Manipulating Fruit Development and Storage Quality Using Growth Regulators Susan Lurie p. 175
Introduction p. 175
Thinning p. 176
Fruit Development p. 179
Fruit Drop p. 181
Fruit Ripening p. 182
Storage Quality p. 186
Conclusions p. 188
Chapter 7. Role of PGRs in Citriculture Kiyohide Kojima p. 197
Introduction p. 197
Procedure for ABA, IAA, and GA Analyses p. 198
Endogenous Phytohormones in Flowers p. 199
Changes in Phytohormone Levels in Fruitlets p. 202
Abscission and Phytohormones of Fruitlets p. 205
Chapter 8. Reducing Fruit Drop in Lychee with PGR Sprays Raphael A. Stern and Shmuel Gazit p. 211
Introduction p. 211
Fruit Growth and Development p. 212
Fruitlet Abscission Pattern p. 214
Reduction of Fruitlet Abscission with PGR Sprays p. 215
Conclusion p. 218
Chapter 9. Chemical Bloom Thinning of Pome and Stone Fruits Renae E. Moran and Stephen M. Southwick p. 223
Introduction p. 223
Reasons for Bloom Thinning p. 225
Strategies of Crop Load Management p. 228
Unresolved Problems p. 245
Index p. 255