Shoots Of Treated Plants Research Articles

Preliminary results of biostimulator treatments on Crataegus and Prunus stockplants.

Biostimulators are natural growth regulators or chemicals, most of them contain plant hormones as auxin, gibberellic acid, cytokinins and aminoacids. Effects of these components increase physiological activities in plants, first of all protein synthesis. Biostimulators help plants surviving stresses. These are used for protect fruit plants from spring frost damage. They are frequently used in horticulture, but rarely in plant propagation. In our research project we intend testing of biostimulators to precondition the stock plants of cutting propagation. We worked with two cultivars of Crataegus pinnatifida, as well as rootstocks Prunus marianna 'GF 8-1' and Prunus mahaleb 'Bogdany'. The hawthorns root poorly, but the two species of Prunus root well. Three biostimulators are applied on stock plants. Kelpak® is made of brown kelp (seaweed), and contains auxin-like and cytokinin-like substances. Wuxal Ascofol® is a leaf fertilizer with seaweed extract. There is 5-aminolevulic-acid in Pentakeep®-V, which stimulates photosynthesis and increases the volume of chlorophyll. Control was untreated. Stock plants before taking cuttings were treated with the above biostimulators. Number and weight of shoots, the weight of cuttings and the leaf chlorophyll content on stock plants are measured. Preliminary results are that the biostimulators Kelpak® and Wuxal Ascofol® increase the number and the weight of shoots, and the weight of cuttings. This means that the shoots of treated stock plants reach earlier the optimum size and quality for cutting. The cuttings are rooting and the data processing is in progress.