Progress In Plant Growth Regulation

The current growing interest of molecular biologists in plant hormone research is undoubtedly the most promising development of recent times. Many papers were presented during the 14th International Conference on Plant Growth Substances illustrating the impact of this new approach on our understanding of hormone-controlled processes. The specific character is the integrated study of plant growth regulation at all levels ranging from single molecules to the entire plant and its functioning in the environment. Hormones play an essential role in the regulation, but not an exclusive one. Other compounds and factors, such as Ca2+, for instance are often of equal relevance, because they may take part in the signal transduction pathway. Moreover, regulation of the regulator by non-hormonal factors is an essential part of any control mechanism. The present volume reflects the change in interest from plant growth substances to plant growth regulation.

Plant growth regulators or plant bio-regulators have emerged as a powerful tool for improving the performance of horticultural crops in general and fruit crops in particular. This book provided recent information on role of plant hormones, how their concentrations are regulated, and how they modulate the various plant processes. ‘Plant Growth Regulators in Tropical, Sub-tropical Fruit Crops’ is a comprehensive book covering function of plant growth regulators in propagation including micro-propagation, growth, flowering and fruiting behaviour, yield, quality, shelf life and stress management etc. This book has 26 chapters covering most of the tropical and sub-tropical fruit crops like aonla, avocado, banana, ber, citrus, custard apple, date palm, fig, grape, guava, jamun, kokam, litchi, mango, mulberry, papaya, passion fruit, sapota, phalsa, pomegranate and strawberry. Note: T&F does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Hormone Action in Plant Development - A Critical Appraisal documents the proceedings of the Tenth Long Ashton Symposium, September 1986. The symposium was convened to assess the evidence for and against the view that plant hormones are endogenous regulators of plant development. The meeting also aimed to focus on and assess promising strategies for future research. The symposium opened with the Douglas Wills Lecture, given by Professor Carl Leopold. In many respects, progress in research on animal hormones seems greater than in the plant sciences and there may well be merit in following progress in animal hormone research as suggested by Professor Leopold. The symposium was comprised of four sessions. The introductory session considered the coordinating role of hormones in plant growth and development, and focused on hormone action at the molecular level, including their binding to receptors and their control of gene expression. The next two sessions embraced contributions on the experimental manipulation of development by genetic (notably by biochemical mutants), chemical (for example, with gibberellin/biosynthesis inhibitors), and environmental (including drought stress) means. All these approaches consolidated the central importance of hormones in plant growth. In the final session, three speakers suggested some promising avenues for future research into the physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology of plant hormones.

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.