Can paclobutrazol (GA-biosynthesis inhibitor), as foliage spray may enhance total biomass in potato grown under heat stress and long days ?
Paclobutrazol decreases the total biomass production but it improves tuber yield by partitioning more assimilates to the tubers.
Plant Growth Regulation January 2005, Volume 45, Issue 1, pp 37-46Growth and biomass production in potato grown in the hot tropics as influenced by paclobutrazol
T. Tekalign,P.S. Hammes
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10725-004-6443-1
Control plants are lengthy and lanky and have lodging at around 65 day stage while PBZ treatment showed thick but short stem with erect plant types. Under such situations, apart from better harvest index can we expect total biomass higher in PBZ treated etect plants ?
I see 2 possible mechanisms:
1) producer of commercial Paclobutrazol added some plant growth stimulators as part of formulation - it is usual.
2) GA-biosynthesis inhibition changed the balance of plant hormones and promoted root growth that is important under heat/drought stress. Similar event due to CruiserTM treatment (so - called "Vigor Effect(R)" increased total plant weight of Chinese cabbage for 50% under drought, but reduced weight for 20-25% at cold and wet growth season.
I thank very much to Alex Ignatov for additional probability Number 2). Under heat stress situation water requirement increases and to meet that demand investment in root biomass will help attain improved plant vigour involving transpirational cooling.
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