The growth of ornamental foliage plants is often limited by pot size, which exerts a restriction on root growth and, therefore, on the production of root-synthesised cytokinins which play key regulatory roles in the development and growth of the shoot. We studied the effect of exogenous 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) on plant growth and on the development of leaf area in Epipremnum aureum L. plants grown in pots. The hypothesis was that increasing the concentration of shoot cytokinins by foliar spraying of BAP would promote plant growth by overcoming the effects of root restriction on whole plant development. Three glasshouse experiments were conducted using (i) different concentrations of BAP, (ii) different numbers of spray applications, and (iii) different light environments. The results showed that a single spray application of BAP at 5 mg l–1 significantly (P minor or equal to 0.05) increased leaf area (by 20 – 40 per cent) and biomass (fresh weight (FW)) accumulation (by 30–35 per cent), while higher BAP concentrations, or repeated spray applications had less effect. The maximum effect of BAP was observed under intermediate levels of irradiance. The increased development of leaf area in BAP-sprayed plants resulted from increases in both individual average leaf areas (by 100–150 per cent cf. the controls) and the rate of leaf initiation (by 30–120 per cent cf. the controls). The latter could be attributed to a shortening of the phyllochron, since no branching was observed under any BAP spray treatment. Alternative physiological explanations, as well as possible commercial applications of these BAP-elicited responses are discussed.
Di Benedetto, A. H.; Galmarini, C. R. & Tognetti, J. A. (2013). Changes in leaf size and in the rate of leaf production contribute to cytokinin-mediated growth promotion in Epipremnum aureum L. cuttings. Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology,88, (2),p.179-186
Di Benedetto, Adalberto Hugo, Galmarini, Claudio Rómulo, Tognetti, Jorge Alberto. 2013. "Changes in leaf size and in the rate of leaf production contribute to cytokinin-mediated growth promotion in Epipremnum aureum L. cuttings". Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology 88, no.2:179-186.
Recuperado de http://ri.agro.uba.ar/greenstone3/library/collection/arti/document/2013dibenedetto