Tag: plant growth and development

The lawn is mowed regularly to remove apical meristem, and prevent vertical growth of the grass and enhance the growth of lateral buds whose growth is hindered due to apical dominance. This helps the grass get a spreading or carpet like appearance.

Indole Acetic Acid IAA is a naturally produced hormone at the shoot tip by the apical bud that results in vertical growth of the stem, however, this inhibits the growth of lateral buds by preventing basipetal transportation of auxin. Which is termed as apical dominance.

Presence of cytokinin in an area causes preferential movement of nutrients towards it. When applied to lateral buds, they help in their growth despite the presence of apical bud. They thus act antagonistically to auxin which promotes apical dominance. Therefore, cytokinin can overcome apical dominance, caused by auxins.

Auxins are produced in the apical buds and they inhibit the growth of lateral buds on the stem thus leading to apical dominance. Whereas cytokinins promote the growth of lateral buds over and above the apical buds thereby antagonising the action of auxins.
So, the correct answer is, 'Apical dominance'.

Apical dominance is the condition in which an apical bud grows taller as compared to the other lateral branches. This is cause because apical bud produces IAA (Indole Acetic Acid) an auxin hormone in abundance. The presence of high concentration of auxin in the apical bud causes the lateral buds to remain dormant. It has been found that if apical bud is removed, the auxin concentration decreases which allows the lateral branches to grow. 

Auxins are present in high concentrations in the tip of apical bud and their presence inhibits the growth of lower buds and branches. Thus one shoot becomes the tallest stem and other remain lower. This type of growth shown by apical bud in herbaceous plants is known as apical dominance. 

Auxin is an important plant hormone with a wide variety of effects. Auxin produced by the apical meristems inhibits the sprouting of lateral buds, and this phenomenon is called apical dominance. Apical dominance refers to an event in which the main stem of the plant grows more dominantly than the other branches on the stems. Production of auxin strengthens the phenomenon of apical dominance. Auxin inhibits the growth of lateral bud, and thereby allow the central stem to grow more vigorously.