Plant hormones and plant growth regulators protect the entire plant growth process in modern agricultural production
Plant hormones and plant growth regulators precisely regulate crop growth, development, and stress resistance processes in modern agricultural production. Simultaneously, complex synergistic and antagonistic relationships exist between plant hormones and plant growth regulators, jointly regulating the entire plant life cycle.
I. Sowing and Seedling Stage: Laying the Foundation for High Yields
1. Breaking Dormancy and Promoting Uniform and Strong Seedlings.
Some seeds (such as potato tubers, rice, and wheat seeds) have long dormancy periods, which can delay planting. Soaking seeds or tubers in Gibberellic Acid (GA3) can effectively break dormancy, promote seed germination, and result in rapid and uniform emergence.
2. Promoting Rooting and Accelerating Propagation.
Treating the base of cuttings with auxin-based regulators (rooting powder) such as 1-Naphthyl Acetic Acid (NAA) or Indole-3-Butyric Acid (IBA) can significantly promote the formation of adventitious roots, making it easier for plants like cucumbers and roses, which are usually difficult to root, to survive, thus greatly improving propagation efficiency.
II. Vegetative Growth Stage: Regulating Growth and Shaping Ideal Plant Shape
1. Regulating Growth, Increasing Yield and Income.
In vegetable production, applying growth regulators such as GA3·DA-6 can promote the growth of crops like Chinese cabbage and increase yield. In cotton cultivation, the use of Mepiquat chloride is mainly used to inhibit vegetative growth, prevent excessive vegetative growth, and concentrate nutrients to supply the cotton bolls, thereby increasing yield and income.
Controlling excessive vegetative growth and preventing lodging.
Crops like corn and rice are prone to excessive vegetative growth when over-fertilized and overwatered, leading to lodging or nutrient waste. Farmers commonly use growth retardants such as Chlormequat Chloride, Paclobutrazol, and Uniconazole, applying them as foliar sprays during key growth stages (such as the early jointing stage). This inhibits stem elongation, promotes thicker stems and a more developed root system, enhances lodging resistance, and shapes an ideal plant shape.
III. Flowering and Fruit Setting Stage: Preserving Flowers and Fruits, Determining Yield
1. Inducing Flowering and Regulating Flowering Time.
GA3 Gibberellic Acid is a well-known "flowering inducer." For plants that require low temperatures or long days to flower (such as certain vegetables and flowers), spraying GA3 Gibberellic Acid under non-natural conditions can induce flowering, enabling off-season production. Ethephon, on the other hand, promotes female flower differentiation in some plants (such as melons and solanaceous crops), increasing the number of fruits. In tomato production, treatment with ethephon can promote uniform flowering, resulting in consistent fruit ripening and facilitating management and harvesting.
2. Flower and Fruit Preservation and Thinning.
Under adverse environmental conditions (such as low temperature and drought), eggplants and citrus fruits are prone to flower and fruit drop. Spraying with auxins (2,4-D), GA3 (gibberellic acid), etc., during the flowering or young fruit stage can prevent the formation of an abscission layer at the flower stalk or fruit stalk, thus retaining flowers and fruits on the plant and increasing fruit set rate. Excessive flowering and fruiting in fruits and vegetables can lead to smaller fruits and decreased quality. Spraying with auxins (NAA), abscisic acid, etc., during full bloom or young fruit stage can promote the shedding of some poorly developed young fruits, achieving reasonable "family planning" and ensuring that the remaining fruits are large, of high quality, and stabilizing yield.
IV. Fruit Development and Maturation: Enhancing Quality and Value
1. Promoting Fruit Enlargement.
Utilizing the synergistic effect of cytokinins and gibberellic acid can promote cell division and elongation, causing rapid fruit enlargement. Treating young fruits such as grapes, kiwifruit, and watermelons with chlorpyrifos or thiamethoxam can promote cell division, increase fruit size, and may even produce seedless fruits.
2. Promotes fruit ripening and coloring.
During the fruit ripening period or after harvest, soaking or spraying with ethephon releases ethylene gas, which accelerates the conversion of starch into sugar, the decomposition of organic acids, and the degradation of chlorophyll, leading to the formation of pigments (such as lycopene and anthocyanins), thus achieving ripening and uniform coloring. Ethephon is commonly used to promote the ripening of fruits such as tomatoes, bananas, and citrus fruits. For example, bananas are often harvested when green and firm, and then ripened to yellow using ethephon after transportation to the sales location.
3. Promotes preservation and delays senescence.
Cytokinin regulators (such as 6-Benzylaminopurine (6-BA)) are commonly used. Post-harvest spraying or soaking of leafy vegetables (such as celery and lettuce) and flowers can inhibit chlorophyll degradation and protein decomposition, maintaining the product's bright green color and crispness, and extending shelf life.
4. Enhancing Stress Resistance
Plant hormones and plant growth regulators can also help crops cope with adverse environments. While abscisic acid (ABA) promotes senescence, it also acts as a "stress resistance signal" in plants. Spraying it before adverse conditions occur can activate the crop's self-protective mechanisms, such as closing stomata and accumulating osmotic regulators, thereby improving its resistance to cold, drought, and salinity. When herbicides are used improperly, spraying brassinolide (BRs) can regulate the crop's physiological state, helping it recover growth quickly and reducing herbicide damage.
We need to learn to use plant hormones and plant growth regulators rationally and scientifically to achieve precise management of the crop life cycle, ultimately achieving the goals of increased yield, improved quality, increased efficiency, and cost reduction.
I. Sowing and Seedling Stage: Laying the Foundation for High Yields
1. Breaking Dormancy and Promoting Uniform and Strong Seedlings.
Some seeds (such as potato tubers, rice, and wheat seeds) have long dormancy periods, which can delay planting. Soaking seeds or tubers in Gibberellic Acid (GA3) can effectively break dormancy, promote seed germination, and result in rapid and uniform emergence.
2. Promoting Rooting and Accelerating Propagation.
Treating the base of cuttings with auxin-based regulators (rooting powder) such as 1-Naphthyl Acetic Acid (NAA) or Indole-3-Butyric Acid (IBA) can significantly promote the formation of adventitious roots, making it easier for plants like cucumbers and roses, which are usually difficult to root, to survive, thus greatly improving propagation efficiency.
II. Vegetative Growth Stage: Regulating Growth and Shaping Ideal Plant Shape
1. Regulating Growth, Increasing Yield and Income.
In vegetable production, applying growth regulators such as GA3·DA-6 can promote the growth of crops like Chinese cabbage and increase yield. In cotton cultivation, the use of Mepiquat chloride is mainly used to inhibit vegetative growth, prevent excessive vegetative growth, and concentrate nutrients to supply the cotton bolls, thereby increasing yield and income.
Controlling excessive vegetative growth and preventing lodging.
Crops like corn and rice are prone to excessive vegetative growth when over-fertilized and overwatered, leading to lodging or nutrient waste. Farmers commonly use growth retardants such as Chlormequat Chloride, Paclobutrazol, and Uniconazole, applying them as foliar sprays during key growth stages (such as the early jointing stage). This inhibits stem elongation, promotes thicker stems and a more developed root system, enhances lodging resistance, and shapes an ideal plant shape.
III. Flowering and Fruit Setting Stage: Preserving Flowers and Fruits, Determining Yield
1. Inducing Flowering and Regulating Flowering Time.
GA3 Gibberellic Acid is a well-known "flowering inducer." For plants that require low temperatures or long days to flower (such as certain vegetables and flowers), spraying GA3 Gibberellic Acid under non-natural conditions can induce flowering, enabling off-season production. Ethephon, on the other hand, promotes female flower differentiation in some plants (such as melons and solanaceous crops), increasing the number of fruits. In tomato production, treatment with ethephon can promote uniform flowering, resulting in consistent fruit ripening and facilitating management and harvesting.
2. Flower and Fruit Preservation and Thinning.
Under adverse environmental conditions (such as low temperature and drought), eggplants and citrus fruits are prone to flower and fruit drop. Spraying with auxins (2,4-D), GA3 (gibberellic acid), etc., during the flowering or young fruit stage can prevent the formation of an abscission layer at the flower stalk or fruit stalk, thus retaining flowers and fruits on the plant and increasing fruit set rate. Excessive flowering and fruiting in fruits and vegetables can lead to smaller fruits and decreased quality. Spraying with auxins (NAA), abscisic acid, etc., during full bloom or young fruit stage can promote the shedding of some poorly developed young fruits, achieving reasonable "family planning" and ensuring that the remaining fruits are large, of high quality, and stabilizing yield.
IV. Fruit Development and Maturation: Enhancing Quality and Value
1. Promoting Fruit Enlargement.
Utilizing the synergistic effect of cytokinins and gibberellic acid can promote cell division and elongation, causing rapid fruit enlargement. Treating young fruits such as grapes, kiwifruit, and watermelons with chlorpyrifos or thiamethoxam can promote cell division, increase fruit size, and may even produce seedless fruits.
2. Promotes fruit ripening and coloring.
During the fruit ripening period or after harvest, soaking or spraying with ethephon releases ethylene gas, which accelerates the conversion of starch into sugar, the decomposition of organic acids, and the degradation of chlorophyll, leading to the formation of pigments (such as lycopene and anthocyanins), thus achieving ripening and uniform coloring. Ethephon is commonly used to promote the ripening of fruits such as tomatoes, bananas, and citrus fruits. For example, bananas are often harvested when green and firm, and then ripened to yellow using ethephon after transportation to the sales location.
3. Promotes preservation and delays senescence.
Cytokinin regulators (such as 6-Benzylaminopurine (6-BA)) are commonly used. Post-harvest spraying or soaking of leafy vegetables (such as celery and lettuce) and flowers can inhibit chlorophyll degradation and protein decomposition, maintaining the product's bright green color and crispness, and extending shelf life.
4. Enhancing Stress Resistance
Plant hormones and plant growth regulators can also help crops cope with adverse environments. While abscisic acid (ABA) promotes senescence, it also acts as a "stress resistance signal" in plants. Spraying it before adverse conditions occur can activate the crop's self-protective mechanisms, such as closing stomata and accumulating osmotic regulators, thereby improving its resistance to cold, drought, and salinity. When herbicides are used improperly, spraying brassinolide (BRs) can regulate the crop's physiological state, helping it recover growth quickly and reducing herbicide damage.
We need to learn to use plant hormones and plant growth regulators rationally and scientifically to achieve precise management of the crop life cycle, ultimately achieving the goals of increased yield, improved quality, increased efficiency, and cost reduction.
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