Damage plants to increase yield - Page 2

 

Pavel314 wrote:

You are right that it isn't wise to attribute too much to plants but this
behaviour isn't so complex that it implies thought or conscious intent.  As
I understand it the damage (and other actions that the plant is able to
detect) cause the production of hormones (gibberellins) which control
various aspects of growth and development.

So for some plants cutting the top off causes production of new shoots lower
down, disturbance of roots produces suckering, a certain period of cold
breaks dormancy and stressing tomatoes can switch them from vegetative
growth to flower and fruit production.  Some of these substances can be
extracted or synthesised to produce the same effect when applied by the
grower without taking the action that generates it naturally.

The trick is if you are going to influence the behaviour of a plant in such
a way that you need to understand what the consequences are likely to be in
that particular case.  For example, to encourage fruiting by pruning fruit
trees you need to know which wood on each type of fruit tree bears the
flowers, it isn't all the same, so your pruning shouldn't be the same for
all.

David

 

David Hare-Scott wrote:

<snip>

I'm repeatedly struck by how poorly taken care of tomato plants set
fruit, it has to be survival of the species reaction. Billy has
mentioned how you don't want tomatoes to believe it is the eternal
summer of bliss. But you don't want to produce plants that yield a poor
or damaged harvest.

   It seems to me that some species, like cucurbits, don't need the cues
to reproduce. Tomatoes sure do.

  Every plant seems to fill a little different niche, and is adapted
differently. Perennials think beyond the current year in ways that
aren't always obvious.

   Enough rambling from me!  I've exhausted my knowledge base!

   Jeff