Horticultural potential of chemical biology to improve adventitious rooting

Abstract

The first reports that auxins promoted root formation in cuttings and that indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) was a particularly effective treatment date from the early 1930s. Since its introduction into horticultural practice, the focus on improvements in the rooting of plants has been largely on the proper use of auxins to enhance adventitious rooting (AR) as well as to increase the range of plants where it can be effective. In this review, we focus on new ideas that might build on what is known about auxin induction of AR. We explore what the evolution in chemical biology has opened through novel high-throughput screening tools to explore auxin regulation of plant development and what it might add to our understanding and potential to produce new tools for the manipulation of AR. The potential for using stronger auxin analogues, alternative indolealkanoic acids, compounds that alter β-oxidation of IBA and other indolealkanoic acids, auxin conjugates, inhibitors of auxin conjugation, inhibitors of endogenous auxin biosynthesis, as well as other plant hormones and compounds that inhibit the production or mimic the effects of signals that might be involved in AR are all discussed. The expectation is that a summary of these advances in our understanding of the chemical biology important to AR might increase the use and exploration of new ideas for the improvement in the practical approaches to advance horticultural rooting methods.

Influence of indole butyric acid on root and shoot growth in dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus) stem cuttings

“…Induction of adventitious rooting can be classified as three distinct stages: the root induction period, root initiation, and protrusion (Arya and Husen, 2022). Auxins primarily play a critical role at the induction stage; thus benefits adventitious rooting (Pincelli-Souza et al, 2024). In dragon fruit Seran and Thiresh (2015) also proposed 6000 ppm IBA for enhancing rooting with smaller cuttings.…”