Effect of chlorocholine chloride (ccc) on plant growth and development

The plant hormones are extremely important agent in the integration of developmental activities. Environmental factors often exert inductive effects by evoking changes in hormones in metabolism and distribution within the plant. Apart from it, they also regulate expression of intrinsic genetic potential of plants. Control of genetic expression has been demonstrated for the phytohormones at both transcriptional and translational levels. Also, hormones receptors and binding proteins have been identified on membrane surface that are specific for some hormones. Apart from nutrition, if plants hormonal balance can be made through chemical manipulation, there would be a benefit in economising the nutrients and augmenting oil seed production. One such group of chemical is thought to be plant growth regulators. Besides naturally occurring growth regulating substances, there are chemicals which may act as plant growth promoters or plant growth retardants. Chlorocholine Chloride (CCC) is gibberellin biosynthesis inhibitor involved in the inhibition of cyclization of geranyl -geranyl pyrophosphate to copyallyl pyrophosphate. But the present study indicates that chlorocholine chloride is a quaternary ammonium compound type of growth retardant involved in a diverse array of cellular, developmental and stress related processes in plants. A number of examples of the role played by CCC in the growth and development of plants are described, plant height, leaf number, leaf area index, dry mass, chlorophyll and photosynthetic parameters, photosynthetic active radiation, nutrient uptake, seed yield, biological yield, oil yield, harvest index, amino acid and protein content. The study indicates that the process of growth and development in addition to the yield of plants is significantly affected by the chlorocholine chloride in both irrigated and non- irrigated conditions.