Topolins and Related Compounds: Uses in Agriculture

Cytokinins are among the phytohormones essential for a number of developmental processes, a key one being cell division. In relation to crop plant productivity, these processes include tillering, grain setting, filling, nutrient uptake, pathogen resistance, and leaf senescence. There is a close positive correlation between cytokinin levels and cell division phase, but data from cytokinin application to field cereals are inconsistent due to the limited phases of cell division, among others. Further, despite extensive testing, cytokinin use as a commercial plant growth regulator falls short of prediction mainly due to the complexity of field trial effects. This chapter gives an overview of the results of pot and field experiments after exogenous application of a new aromatic cytokinin, 2-chloro-6-(3-methoxybenzylamino)purine (2ClMemT), which we refer to as a regreening factor due to its marked antisenescent activity. Testing was done on winter wheat and spring barley. The effects on yield-producing properties was determined and compared with crop spraying at different phenological stages. The data from several years were collected and statistically evaluated.