Synergistic effect of cytokinin and gibberellins stimulates release of dormancy in tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) bud

• Published in: Physiology and molecular biology of plants Vol. 26; no. 5; pp. 1035 - 1045
• Main Authors: Thirugnanasambantham, Krishnaraj, Prabu, Gajjeraman, Mandal, Abul Kalam Azad
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Delhi Springer India 01-05-2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Activation; Biological and Medical Physics; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biophysics; Buds; Bushes; Cell Biology; Cyclin-dependent kinase; Cyclin-dependent kinases; Cyclins; Cytokinins; Dormancy; E2F protein; Foliar applications; Gene expression; Gibberellins; Histones; Kinases; Kinetin; Life Sciences; Meristems; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Potassium nitrate; Research Article; Shoots; Single-nucleotide polymorphism; Synergistic effect; Tea; Thiourea; Tubulin; Ubiquitination; Dormancy; Kinetin; Gibberellic acid; Gene expression; Camellia sinensis
• ISSN: 0971-5894; 0974-0430
• DOI: 10.1007/s12298-020-00786-2

Reactivation of dormant meristem in banjhi (dormant) shoots is important to enhance the quality and quantity of tea production. The field grown tea bushes were subjected to treatment with dormancy breaking agents such as potassium nitrate (KNO
3
), thiourea, sodium nitro prusside (SNP), the phytohormones kinetin (Kn) and gibberellins (GA). The efficacy of Kn and GA were comparatively lesser than KNO
3
while the combination of Kn and GA (50 and100 ppm respectively) resulted in better dormancy reduction in tea buds. This observation was supported by our results from gene expression study where accumulation patterns of mRNAs corresponding to histones (H2A, H2B, H3 and H4), cyclins (B2, D1 and D3), cyclin-dependent kinase (CDKA), ubiquitination enzymes (FUS, EXT CE2), cyclophilin, E2F, and tubulin were analyzed during growth-dormancy cycles in tea apical buds under the influence of Kn, GA and their combinations. The level of these mRNAs was low in dormant buds, which was significantly increased by foliar application of GA and Kn combination. The present study indicated that the foliar application of GA in combination with Kn will help to improve quality and quantity of tea production by breaking dormancy and stimulating the bud growth.