Increased Tolerance of Bean Plants to Soil Drought by means of Growth-retarding Substances

Abstract

IN experiments with Chrysanthemum morifolium¹ plants treated with (2-chloroethyl) trimethyl ammonium chloride (‘CCC’) and Petunia hybrida² plants treated with 2,4-di-chlorobenzyltributyl phosphoniura chloride (‘Phosfon’) it has been observed that treated plants seemed to be less susceptible to water stress than untreated ones. High temperatures following periods of low light intensities caused wilting in control plants, while treated plants remained turgid. These substances are growth-retarding materials^1,2, and some of their physiological activities have been reported³.