Grafting and Gibberellin Effects on the Growth of Tall and Dwarf Peas

Abstract

Tall peas var. Alaska and dwarf peas var. Progress No. 9 were grafted onto their own roots or reciprocally grafted to determine the rootstock effect on the growth of the stem. In all cases the grafted stems grew the same as their ungrafted controls regardless of which rootstock they were grown on. When similarly grafted plants were supplied with gibberellic acid, good graft unions did not inhibit its translocation. This evidence supports the thesis that the mechanism controlling stem growth in peas is located in the stem and that the roots have no direct control over this mechanism.