Uses of Plant Hormones
Biology: AQA GCSE Higher, topic 5.4.6
Uses of Plant Hormones
People use plant hormones to control the growth of plants for agricultural (farming) and horticultural (gardening) purposes:
Auxins
- Auxins are used as weed killers as they can initiate (start) such rapid growth that the weeds use up all of their resources and die.
- They are also used as rooting powders (growth supplement) and to promote growth in tissue culture.
Ethene
- Ethene is used in the food industry to control the ripening of fruit during storage and transport.
Gibberellins
- Gibberellins are used to promote flowering, increase fruit size, and initiate (start) seed germination.
Test yourself on Uses of Plant Hormones
A fruit grower wants to increase the size of their fruit before harvest. Which plant hormone should they use?
Why does an auxin-based weed killer cause a weed to die?
Why do farmers and gardeners use plant hormones such as auxins, ethene, and gibberellins?
A laboratory technician wants to encourage extra plant cells to grow from a small sample kept in a dish. Which hormone could they add to help this growth?
A gardener wants seeds to begin germinating sooner than normal. Which hormone should they apply to the seeds?