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Midway, UT

About this time of year I typically see a shift in the plant growth that I would like to better understand and know how to delay. About his time of year I see the plant try to throw a lot of sucker vines. This usually coincides with the plant starting to look kind of tired from a long season and slower pumpkin growth. The plant seems to be saying that it doesn't have a lot of time left in it so it is doing everything it can to put out some more vines so that it can grow some more pumpkins (i.e progeny). It is kind of the same process with some trees like Aspens that throw a lot of suckers just before it starts to go down. Does keeping the main growing or other vines delay this reaction or are there other things that can be done to delay this process? And what are the signals that trigger this process? Is it the number of hours of sunlight in a day or some other process(es) that triggers this apparent hormonal shift in the plant?

8/24/2011 10:47:58 AM

ipswich, ma usa

It's just like a wife, hormonal.....and stuff starts to be thrown around....lol

8/24/2011 11:15:42 AM

Little-TON - Colorado

Great....now Pumpkin PMS.....

8/24/2011 11:47:29 AM

Ashby, MA

Maybe it's the time of the month that triggers it.

8/24/2011 1:05:20 PM

Good question, problem is I dont have the answer. But it would really help out if I could just manage to do around 3-4 # better per day later on in the season. What does everyone else think?

8/24/2011 2:52:25 PM

Deer Park, WI

This is a must read for anyone interested in the topic proposed above:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_hormones

8/24/2011 2:53:31 PM

Ashby, MA

Measured my pumpkin today (day 50) and it slowed down from 21.6 lbs/day (on day 40) to just 13.6 lbs/day. I'm blaming it on the sudden cool weather we're having here in the north east for the month of August which is usually much warmer.

8/24/2011 3:03:50 PM

Midway, UT

Thanks for the link Joze. My question is of those four classes of hormones which is causing the signal in the late season to start throwing suckers and slow down fruit production and can that process be delayed? I know some of the diminishing fruit production is just part of the ware and tear a plant goes through producing a 1,000+ pound monster but can something be done that delays the plant response so gpierce's pumpkin can keep putting on 21.6 pounds per day for another week rather than 13.6 pounds? I guessing I'm looking for a trigger. The process seems to both somewhat genetic but mostly enviromental because it appears to me that all of my plants kick into this phase within a few days of each other.

8/24/2011 4:08:16 PM

Ashland, KY

Friends, I will ask a few plant biologists I know-but I would not be surprised if part of the trigger is duration (shortening) of daylight?
EP

8/24/2011 8:33:05 PM

Deer Park, WI

EP identified a piece of the puzzle...daylight is a major influencer of growth patterns. But even still, daylight signals chemical messages within the plant that ultimately govern growth rates.

I'd be cautious in associating that whatever is stimulating sucker growth also is driving a slowdown in fruit growth. Plants are complex creatures and there is very likely a handful of primary messaging systems that cause the changes experienced this time of year.

To learn more about those classes of hormones and how they affect aging (known as plant sensence), read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_senescence

8/24/2011 8:56:09 PM

Littleton, Colo

hhhmmmmm

8/24/2011 10:59:35 PM

Midway, UT

Good article Joze. Thanks for sharing. Now we just need a $100,000 grant to find out what is controlling the senescence in AG plants. The one part of the article that I found interesting is where it said, "Cytokinins help to maintain the plant cell but when they are withdrawn or if the cell can not receive the cytokinin it may then undergo apoptosis or senescence." It would be interesting to see if seaweed application in the right quantities might be able to slow down the late season process. It would only work however if the cytokinin levels would be high enough in the seaweed, if can actually be absorbed and utilized by the plant and if there are available recepters for it to be utilized. That is a lot of ifs.

8/25/2011 1:04:49 AM

Deer Park, WI

Nice catch. I too have been considering the role of cytokinins and auxins in preserving/accelerating growth. As you say, though, there are many variables between a good idea and practical application.

If there is merit to the "self-pruning" theory stated by the article's author, then it is conceivable that pro-actively cutting off dead/dying leaves will help maintain plant vigor. Question becomes which leaves are acting as sinks and which are sources? Again, more variables.

8/25/2011 8:14:43 AM

Joliet, IL

http://www.plantphysiol.org/content/116/4/1195.full

Antioxidants maybe Joze? Here is another related article. I believe it is a combo of genetics and triggers. Annual plants will sooner or later complete the cycle of life. There are some genetic studies trying to further understand which genes trigger this in both plants and people too. Some humans live longer. Sometimes health issues can kick signs of old age in both species. Also the plant has environmental factors. If heavy hitters with healthy late season plants find a trend in certain crosses with longer lives and delayed senesence, it could be a critical role in the never ending push for MORE. Here is another related article also.

http://www.google.com/m/url?client=ms-android-sprint-us&devlocsession=off&ei=ukxWTtiyK47gM93SyvcC&gl=us&hl=en&q=http://www.ufv.br/dbv/pgfvg/BVE684/htms/pdfs_revisao/estresse/senesc.pdf&source=android-launcher-search&ved=0CCMQFjAD&usg=AFQjCNGaq_VaXKxCEkykWfP0Ba8roZrFPQ

http

8/25/2011 9:25:27 AM