Guttation 1: chemistry, crop husbandry and molecular farming

Guttation is one of the most conspicuous visible phenomena in plants occurring in a wide range of plants. The guttation fluids, though look clear and translucent, carry a number of organic and inorganic constituents. The organic component may include sugars, amino acids, general proteins, antimicrobial phylloplane proteins, transport proteins for transporting sucrose, purine and cytokinins, toxic elements etc. and enzymes such as peroxidases, dehydrogenases, ATPases, in addition to mRNA, ATP, reductants and other important ingredients of plant life. Guttation fluids also contain a number of natural plant hormones such as auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins, abscisic acid etc., apart from several vitamins. Recent discoveries have revealed the presence of a number of salts, ions, nutrients and macromolecules in guttation fluid playing significant role in enhancing disease resistance, tolerance to toxic elements, photosynthetic efficiency, biomass production and economic yield of agricultural crops. In the light of aforementioned discoveries in guttation transgenic plants have been created to serve as bio-factories for producing various kinds of phytochemicals of immense agricultural, pharmaceutical, nutriceutical, therapeutic, cosmeceutic and commercial significance impacting food productivity and human health adding happiness to life.