Hormone Havoc
This hormone is responsible for "Apical Dominance," meaning it keeps side-buds from growing while the main tip is present
What is Auxin?
This is the maximum percentage of a plant’s canopy that should be removed in a single growing season.
What is 1/3 (or 33%)?
According to the "Rule of 10," if the temperature increases by 10°C, the rate of deterioration increases by this much.
What is 2 to 3 times?
This group of microscopic organisms is the most common cause of plant diseases.
What are Fungi?
This propagation method is successful because the "baby" remains attached to the parent plant's water supply.
What is Layering?
This gaseous hormone is responsible for fruit ripening and is why "one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel."
What is Ethylene?
This 3-step pruning method is used for large limbs to prevent the weight from stripping bark down the trunk.
What is the 3-Cut Method?
While most crops need high humidity, these two specific bulb crops require LOW humidity during storage to prevent rot.
What are Onions and Garlic?
An insect, such as an aphid or leafhopper, that carries a virus from an infected plant to a healthy one.
What is a Vector?
Cuttings planted upside down fail to root because they violate this principle of one-way hormone movement.
What is Polarity?
This hormone acts as the "Stress Manager"—it closes stomata during drought and maintains seed dormancy.
What is Abscisic Acid (ABA)?
This specific term describes removing the new, immature growth (candles) on pines and spruces to control size.
What is Cinching?
This chemical is used commercially to "loosen" fruit from trees to make mechanical harvesting easier.
What is Ethephon?
In the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) pyramid, this is the very first and most crucial step to take.
What is Prevention?
This chemical test is used to check the viability of dormant seeds by staining respiring tissue red.
What is the TZ (Tetrazolium) Test?
This hormone is often sprayed on seedless grapes to increase the size of the fruit and elongate the cluster stems.
What is Gibberellic Acid (GA)?
Pruning a formal hedge into a "V-shape" (wider at the top) causes this specific problem at the base of the plant.
What is Shading (causing lower branches to die)?
This is the main reason produce is cooled immediately after harvest: to slow down this specific biological process.
What is Respiration?
This type of infection occurs when a pathogen attacks plant tissue that is already weakened by another stressor.
What is a Secondary Infection?
These are the two ideal storage conditions (temperature and moisture) for ensuring most seeds stay viable.
What are Cool and Dry?
Explain the biological mechanism of how "Sucker Punch" prevents water sprouts on a pruned tree.
It provides a synthetic source of Auxin to the wound, mimicking the apical meristem to "trick" lateral buds into staying dormant.
Define Rejuvenation Pruning and explain the intended physiological response from the plant.
Cutting a shrub to within 12 inches of the ground to break all apical dominance and force a massive flush of new, juvenile growth.
Explain the trade-off between "Shipping Maturity" and "Eating Quality" for commercial fruit growers.
Shipping requires picking fruit immature (firm and durable); however, peak eating quality only occurs at full vine/tree maturity.
Why is "treating" a virus in a greenhouse usually impossible, and what is the standard IPM protocol for an infected plant?
There are no curative chemicals for viruses; the protocol is to remove/destroy the infected plant and kill the insect vectors.
For a Leaf Cutting to grow into a complete new plant, it must be capable of forming these two adventitious structures.
What are Adventitious Roots and Adventitious Shoots?