The Research Unit for Horticultural Crops (FGK) of the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt receives project funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG).
The research project 'Functional characterization of auxin-mediated stimulation of adventitious root formation in Petunia by darkness' will investigate environmentally friendly propagation of ornamental plants. Instead of using chemical growth regulators, root growth will be mobilized by dark storage. The research project is being funded with a grant of €406,050 over three years.
The team led by Dr. Uwe Drüge at the FGK is researching the biological principles of environmentally friendly propagation of ornamental plants, such as petunias. Every year, several billion plants are propagated in Europe via cuttings. This is often done with the addition of rooting agents containing the phytohormone auxin, as this is the only way to achieve rapid and regular rooting.
Dr. Drüge's research group has set itself the goal of using a better understanding of the endogenous processes in cuttings to create the conditions for propagating plants with less use of chemicals. Previous work had shown that the content of the endogenous phytohormone auxin in the cuttings is increased by dark storage. This promotes rooting so that the use of chemical rooting agents can be dispensed with. The research project 'Functional characterization of auxin-mediated stimulation of adventitious root formation in Petunia by dark storage' will now use biological methods to elucidate which biochemical processes in the cutting lead to the increase in auxin levels under dark storage and which genes are activated in the process.
The results of the project are expected to provide starting points for further targeted methods on how to avoid the use of chemical growth regulators by stimulating endogenous hormones. The project, which was approved by the DFG on February the 23rd, 2023, will be funded with a total of €406,050 over three years.
More Information:
Kristin Thieme Pressestelle
Fachhochschule Erfurt
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