Mention the physiological effects of ethylene.

Answer 1

Ethylene has been used for a long time to force plants to do what humans want them to do. Below I have outlined a few of the physiological effects ethylene has on plants.

1. Flowering
2. Increases the number of flowers on a cucumber plant, increasing its fruit yield.¹
3. Speeds up flowering in pineapple plants, yielding faster crops.²
4. Inhibits flower production in rice plants.³
5. Leaves
6. Inhibits leave production corn plants³
7. Causes oat plant leave to lose chlorophyll early and die prematurely³
8. Fruit Ripening
9. Produced naturally by some fruit to speed up ripening of other nearby fruit⁴
10. Used by farmers to speed up ripening of fruit to get it to market faster⁴
11. Root Systems
12. Inhibits tomato plants roots from branching and growing deeper into the soil⁵
13. Plant Storage Systems
14. Causes plants that sprout from bulbs to sprout earlier in the season⁶
15. Increases rhizome production in rhubarb plants⁷

These are just a few of the ways ethylene affects plants. There are many more take a look with your school library's research database or use Google Scholar. You might be amazed at what you find ethylene can do.

Sources:

¹Genetic Regulation of Ethylene Dosage for Cucumber Fruit Elongation - https://rb.gy/rbmnaj

²Effects of Growth Regulators on Ethylene Production and Floral Initiation of Pineapple - https://rb.gy/gf9ot1

³Ethylene Role in Plant Growth, Development and Senescence: Interaction with Other Phytohormones - https://rb.gy/tvtfxk

⁴Ethylene and Fruit Ripening - https://rb.gy/5fmvoy

⁵Ethylene inhibits lateral root development, increases IAA transport and expression of PIN3 and PIN7 auxin efflux carriers - https://rb.gy/9ayj4uThe role of ethylene in the flowering response of bulbous plants

⁶The role of ethylene in the flowering response of bulbous plants - https://rb.gy/n6bjjm

⁷Role of ethylene and jasmonic acid on rhizome induction and growth in rhubarb - https://rb.gy/nts73o