Cytokinins are plant hormones that play a key role in promoting vegetative development, especially by stimulating cell division and influencing growth patterns in shoots and leaves.
Here’s how cytokinins affect vegetative growth:
- Stimulate Cell Division:
- Cytokinins promote mitosis (cell division) in growing tissues, such as young leaves, roots, and shoots.
- This leads to faster growth of shoots and new vegetative tissues.
- Promote Shoot Growth:
- They work along with auxins to maintain a balance between root and shoot growth.
- When cytokinin levels are higher relative to auxins, shoot formation is encouraged.
- Delay Leaf Senescence (Aging):
- Cytokinins help keep leaves green and photosynthetically active for longer by delaying aging.
- This prolongs the vegetative phase and improves overall plant productivity.
- Break Apical Dominance:
- Cytokinins stimulate lateral bud growth, reducing the dominance of the main shoot tip.
- This results in bushier plants with more branches and leaves.
- Enhance Nutrient Mobilization:
- They help in transporting nutrients to growing regions like young leaves and developing shoots, supporting vigorous vegetative growth.
- Tissue Regeneration and Morphogenesis:
- In tissue culture, cytokinins are essential for shoot regeneration from callus tissue, showing their strong effect on vegetative organ formation.
In short:
Cytokinins promote vegetative development by stimulating cell division, encouraging branching, delaying leaf aging, and maintaining shoot vitality. They ensure the plant remains actively growing and productive during the vegetative stage.