AUXINS OTHER THAN INDOLEBUTYRIC ACID WHICH CAN EFFECTIVELY BE USED TO STIMULATE ROOTING
Frank A. Blazich
The chemical identification and elucidation in 1934–35 of the role of auxin [indoleacetic acid (IAA)] in promoting adventitious root initiation was a landmark in the history of plant propagation (8,9). This advancement led to auxin treatment of cuttings to stimulate rooting and made it possible to consistently root large quantities of cuttings from difficult-to-root plants.
Following the discovery that IAA promoted adventitious root initiation, the search began for other naturally-occurring auxins .Also, chemicals with structures similar and dissimilar to IAA were examined for root-promoting properties. The former studies, conducted for many years, were unsuccessful. Currently, it is generally agreed that IAA is the only naturally-occurring auxin found in plants. The latter studies were more successful and, in 1935, appeared the first report indicating the synthetic auxins, indolebutyric acid (IBA) and naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), had strong root-promoting properties (14). Reports
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