PLANT HORMONES

Informally since 1986 and on the Web since 1996, I have written several fairly different versions of comprehensive speculations on the functions and behavior of plant hormones. This present page and it accompanying tables explains the commonly accepted plant hormones as each having major roles as indicators of plant nutrient abundance or deficiency. I see four classes of nutrients: the gases, minerals (root derived nutrition other than water), water and sugar. There are then two hormone groups assigned to each nutrient class, one is an indicator of abundance and one of scarcity. Building on this structure, I postulate that all four of the abundance hormones are needed for cell division, not just the commonly accepted auxin and cytokinin. Furthermore, I postulate that all four of the deficiency hormones are needed for cell senescence to be carried out... Here are some effects of the plant hormones encouraging my speculations. References for the effects can be seen in the greater..