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Competition for nutrients between fruits and roots of tomato

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Structural and Functional Aspects of Transport in Roots

Part of the book series: Developments in Plant and Soil Sciences ((DPSS,volume 36))

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Abstract

In fruiting plants there is competition between sinks for photosynthates, ions and hormones. It is affected by sink size, sink activity and progress of senescence of individual organs, and modified by environmental factors. Therefore, fruit-root interaction with respect to partitioning of substances consists of a syndrome of effects, regulated by hormones. Generative organs tend to become dominant sinks exerting strong ‘priority demand’ both for photosynthates and ions. Developing fruits also monopolize hormones (Herzog, 1986), including cytokinins, major endogenous senescence retardants, creating even in some cases deficiency in the leaves (Nooden, 1985). Removal of fruits of grape vines leads to a drastically enhanced cytokinin content in the leaves retarding their senescence (Hoad et al., 1977). Partial defoliation of tomato plants greatly increases the zeatin content of the fruits and even more in the seeds (Monseline et al., 1978; Varga and Bruinsma, 1976).

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Abbreviations

BA:

benzyladenine

GR:

growth regulators

NOA:

β-naphthoxy-acetic acid

Z:

zeatin

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© 1989 Kluwer Academic Publishers

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Starck, Z., Stahl, E., Witek-czupryńska, B. (1989). Competition for nutrients between fruits and roots of tomato. In: Loughamn, B.C., Gašparíková, O., Kolek, J. (eds) Structural and Functional Aspects of Transport in Roots. Developments in Plant and Soil Sciences, vol 36. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0891-8_33

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0891-8_33

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-6889-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-0891-8

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