Effect of ethylene on physiological and biochemical parameters in different crop plants - A review

Abstract

A phytohormone may be defined as an organic substance other than a nutrient active in very minute amounts which is formed in certain parts of all plants and which is usually translocated to other sites, where it evokes specific biochemical, physiological and morphological responses. The gaseous plant hormone ethylene modulates many internal processes and growth responses to environmental stimuli. Ethylene is known to exert its effects by altering gene expression both at transcriptional and post-transcriptional level. Ethylene has long beenrecognized as a growth inhibitor, but evidence is accumulating that ethylene can also promote growth. Therefore, the concept of ethylene as a general growth inhibitor needs reconsideration. Different authors screened various concentrations viz. 100 ppm, 150 ppm which promotes the plant growth in groundnut, soybean, mustard, barley, pigeonpea etc. The lower concentration of ethylene (100ppm) has increased the yield by 17 percent in pigeonpea. It increased the yield by manipulating source-sink relationships and flower retention The present study highlights the various processes of growth stimulated by ethylene and its use in enhancing yield of various crop species. It could be inferred that lower concentration of ethrel sprayed at pre-flowering stage promoted the growth and yield of various crops (barley, corn, groundnut, pigeonpea, soybean etc.).