Journal
JOURNAL OF PLANT GROWTH REGULATION
Volume 28, Issue 2, Pages 137-146Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s00344-009-9082-y
Keywords
CCC; Prohexadione-Ca; Rhizome growth; Rhubarb; GA(3) growth retardants; Photoassimilate reallocation
Categories
Funding
- AgriFocus 2000 - Technology Development Program (Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and Fisheries)
- Knol Farms Ltd, NS, Canada
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Accelerating rhizome growth is crucial to enhancing propagule production in rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum L.) because the crop is propagated through rhizome divisions. This can be achieved through manipulating source-sink activity. This study tested the hypothesis that synthetic plant growth retardants Prohexadione-Ca and CCC enhance rhizome growth in rhubarb. Two different concentrations of these plant growth retardants and GA(3) (positive control) were foliarly applied on the cultivar German Wine at three stages of shoot growth under greenhouse conditions. Both Prohexadione-Ca and CCC favorably enhanced rhizome growth through suppressing shoot growth. CCC at 3000 mg L-1 produced the best results and the effect was apparent when applied at 12 weeks after shoot emergence. The rhizome diameter, fresh weight, and the number of viable buds were enhanced significantly in plants sprayed with CCC 3000 mg L-1. Both Prohexadione-Ca and CCC were equally effective in enhancing dry mass and starch allocation preferentially toward the rhizome. Prohexadione-Ca- and CCC-induced rhizome growth enhancement could possibly be due to their known role as GA biosynthesis inhibitors or through increasing photosynthetic efficiency and preferentially reallocating carbohydrates to the rhizome.
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