Growth, apical dominance and endogenous hormonal picture of normal, covered and decapitated duranta shoots

ABSTRACT

The effect of decapitation or covering the shoot apex on growth and endogenous hormonal picture of Duranta repens were studied. It was found that, the decapitated shoots do not increase in length, but carry more lateral branches leading to lowest apical dominance. This was accompanied by the least contents and levels of gibberellins and auxins with the appearance of ABA and highest content and levels of cytokinins. But, the length of intact shoots with exposed apical buds was highly increased with no laterals leading to highest apical dominance accompanied with a hormonal picture opposite to that found in the decapitated shoots. However, the branches with covered apices showed median patterns in growth, apical dominance and endogenous hormonal picture