16.5 The Commercial Use Of Plant Hormones

Question 1

What hormone is involved in the ripening of fruits

Answer 1

Ethene

Question 2

What are climacteric fruits

Answer 2

Fruits that continue to ripen after harvest

Question 3

What are climatic fruits ripening linked to

Answer 3

An increase in ethene production that triggers a series of chemical reactions

Question 4

How are plants propagated and what is used

Answer 4

Take cuttings from a stem and place in compost or soil
You can soo the cut stems into hormone rooting powders to increase the chances of new roots forming
Use auxin hormones

Question 5

What hormones act as effective weed killers

Answer 5

Synthetic auxins

Question 6

How do synthetic auxins act as weed killers

Answer 6

Broad leave plants will absorb it and there metabolism will be affected - there growth rate is increased and eventually becomes unsustainable so they die

Question 7

Why do weed killers target broad leave plants rather than narrowed leave plants

Answer 7

Many of the staple foods around the world are narrow-leaved monocot plants so we get rid of broad leaves to reduce competition

Question 8

How are auxins also used commercially apart from acting as weed killers

Answer 8

They can produce seedless fruit

Question 9

How are gibberellins used commercially

Answer 9

Can delay ripening and ageing in fruit to improve size and shape of fruits