Skip to main content

Beta-cyclocitral makes tomato and rice roots grow faster and branch more

Scientists have identified the beta-cyclocitral hormone that makes tomato and rice roots grow faster and branch more. Molecules as fertilizer also have an underground role in helping to grow roots faster.

Scientists report findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences where the addition of beta-cyclocitral molecules to the soil will accelerate the growth of the roots of rice and tomatoes. Rice plants are also resistant to salty soil.

Dlium Beta-cyclocitral makes tomato and rice roots grow faster and branch more

"For centuries, more attention has been paid to leaves and other properties that are easily visible. Because roots are hidden underground and have been neglected," said Philip Benfey of Duke University in Durham.

Benfey and colleagues in previous studies have suggested that some molecules that are chemically linked to carotenoids, pigments that give orange carrots, may be important. But the researchers are not sure exactly which.

Many of these carotenoid relatives have been rearranged and are commercially available as food additives or supplements. Alexandra Dickinson from Duke University tested Arabidopsis by adding each compound to the gel to make it clear where the roots grew and monitor what happened for 10 days.

"Beta-cyclocitral stands out," Dickinson said.

Roots grow faster and also branch more and the same effect occurs in rice and tomatoes. Rice plants can also live in salty soil. Untreated rice plants are very unhappy with the level of salt, but the addition of beta-cyclocitral makes the plants undisturbed.

It is likely that the compound helps the roots push down through salty soil layers to reach deeper and less salty soils. The researchers hope that beta-cyclocitral can be added to the soil or sprayed onto plants and encourage root growth in wider plants.

Journal : Alexandra J. Dickinson et al. β-Cyclocitral is a conserved root growth regulator, PNAS, May 8, 2019, DOI:10.1073/pnas.1821445116

Comments

Popular

Guinea grass (Panicum maximum)

Guinea grass or buffalo grass or green panic ( Panicum maximum ) is a plant species in Poaceae, annual grasses, growing upright to form clumps, strong, cultivated in all tropical and subtropical regions for very high value as fodder. P. maximum reproduces in very large pols, fibrous roots penetrate into the soil, upright stems, green, 1-1.5 m tall and have smooth cavities for diameters up to 2.5 mm. Propagation is done vegetatively and generatively. Ribbon-shaped leaves with a pointed tip, very many, built in lines, green, 40-105 cm long, 10-30 mm wide, erect, branched, a white linear bone, often covered with a layer of white wax, rough surface by hair short, dense and spread. The flower grows at the end of a long and upright stalk, open with the main axis length to more than 25 cm and the length of the bunches down to 20 cm. Grains have a size of 3x4 mm and oval. Seeds have a length of 2.25-2.50 mm and each 1 kg contains 1.2 - 1.5 million seeds. Guinea grass has two varieties. P

Giant green leech (Raksasa hijau)

Lintah raksasa or giant green leech ( Raksasa hijau ) is a species of animal in Salifidae, large green leeches, carnivores, not hematophagic, can grow to lengths of more than 50 cm, the front is perfectly tubular, but it is getting bigger, wider and flat backward. R. hijau has a front end that ends with a white mouth and has a width equal to the diameter of the front end of the body. The rear end ends with the anus and has a width equal to the diameter of the rear end of the body. The upper surface is whole dark green or leafy green, looks shiny and has no other additional color features. The bottom surface is lighter or brownish green. The skin is wrinkled like tight, elastic joints that make it possible to lengthen the body. Giant green leech moves forward by extending the tip of the front of the body to keep the new location farther away and this movement is then followed by the middle body and gradually the rear where the body moves completely. R. hijau does not suck blo

Redflower ragleaf (Crassocephalum crepidioides)

Sintrong or ebolo or thickhead or redflower ragleaf ( Crassocephalum crepidioides ) are plant species in Asteraceae, terma height 25-100 cm, white fibrous roots, generally grow wild on the roadside, yard gardens or abandoned lands at altitude 200- 2500 m. C. crepidioides has erect or horizontal stems along the soil surface, vascular, soft, non-woody, shallow grooves, green, rough surface and short white hair, aromatic fragrance when squeezed. Petiole is spread on stems, tubular and eared. Single leaf, spread out, green, 8-20 cm long, 3-6 cm wide, longitudinal or round inverted eggshell with a narrow base along the stalk. Pointed tip, flat-edged or curved to pinnate, jagged rough and pointed. The top leaves are smaller and often sit. Compound flowers grow throughout the year in humps that are arranged in terminal flat panicles and androgynous. Green cuffs with orange-brown to brick-red tips, cylindrical for 13-16 mm long and 5-6 mm wide. The crown is yellow with a brownish red