Abstract
The foliar application of plant growth regulators to sugarcane can increase crop growth and yield per cultivated area, improve crop productivity and quality, and mitigate possible abiotic stresses by optimizing photosynthesis. The productive potential of sugarcane has not been fully tapped, and plant growth regulator technology via foliar application could greatly benefit the production of food and renewable energy from the sugarcane production chain. In this study, we conducted 15 sugarcane field trials to evaluate the effects of plant growth regulators (17 ppm GA3 activity, 817 ppm IAA activity and 43 ppm zeatin) via foliar application at the vegetative stage (V) or vegetative and maturation stages (VM) on the photosynthetic and antioxidant enzyme activities, carbohydrate production and yield production of three harvest periods (early, mid-late and late harvest sugarcane). In general, foliar application increased the enzymatic, agronomic, quality and energy parameters of sugarcane. The application of plant growth regulators in V and VM increased the activities of the photosynthetic enzymes phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase, decreased the contents of malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide, and increased superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and proline content. The average stalk yield over the three harvest times increased by 5.4 and 8.0% in V and VM, respectively, compared to the control (101 Mg ha−1). In addition, V and VM increased the sucrose concentration, theoretical recoverable sugars (TRS), and sugar productivity by averages of 2.9%, 2.6% and 9.3%, respectively compared to the control (13.9% of sucrose, 139 kg sugar stalk−1 of TRS, and 13.9 Mg ha−1 of stalk yield), across all harvest seasons. The best results for straw, bagasse and energy production were observed in VM, with average increases of 8.0%, 7.7% and 8.0% compared with the control (14.1 Mg ha−1, 6.1 Mg ha−1 and 69.8 kWh, respectively). Thus, plant growth regulator application can increase sugarcane metabolism, growth and development. Although single plant growth regulator application in the vegetative stage improved all sugarcane parameters, the double application of plant growth regulators in the vegetative and maturation stages ensured improvements in yield and product quality.
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs00344-024-11354-3/MediaObjects/344_2024_11354_Fig1_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs00344-024-11354-3/MediaObjects/344_2024_11354_Fig2_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs00344-024-11354-3/MediaObjects/344_2024_11354_Fig3_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs00344-024-11354-3/MediaObjects/344_2024_11354_Fig4_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs00344-024-11354-3/MediaObjects/344_2024_11354_Fig5_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs00344-024-11354-3/MediaObjects/344_2024_11354_Fig6_HTML.png)
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Akhtar SS, Mekureyaw MF, Pandey C, Roitsch T (2020) Role of cytokinins for interactions of plants with microbial pathogens and pest insects. Front Plant Sci. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.01777
Alabadí D, Gallego-Bartolomé J, Orlando L et al (2008) Gibberellins modulate light signaling pathways to prevent Arabidopsis seedling de-etiolation in darkness. Plant J 53:324–335. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-313X.2007.03346.x
Alexieva V, Sergiev I, Mapelli S, Karanov E (2001) The effect of drought and ultraviolet radiation on growth and stress markers in pea and wheat. Plant Cell Environ 24:1337–1344. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-3040.2001.00778.x
Allain CC, Poon LS, Chan CSG et al (1974) Enzymatic determination of total serum cholesterol. Clin Chem 20:470–475. https://doi.org/10.1093/clinchem/20.4.470
Asgher M, Khan MIR, Anjum NA, Khan NA (2015) Minimising toxicity of cadmium in plants—role of plant growth regulators. Protoplasma 252:399–413. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-014-0710-4
Ashton AR, Burnell JN, Furbank RT et al (1990) 3—Enzymes of C4 photosynthesis. In: Lea PJ (ed) Methods in plant biochemistry. Academic Press, London, pp 39–72
Bates LS, Waldren RP, Teare ID (1973) Rapid determination of free proline for water-stress studies. Plant Soil 39:205–207. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00018060
Brenner WG, Schmülling T (2012) Transcript profiling of cytokinin action in Arabidopsis roots and shoots discovers largely similar but also organ-specific responses. BMC Plant Biol 12:112. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2229-12-112
Cardozo NP, Sentelhas PC (2013) Climatic effects on sugarcane ripening under the influence of cultivars and crop age. Sci Agric 70:449–456. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0103-90162013000600011
Cardozo NP, Sentelhas PC, Panosso AR, Ferraudo AS (2014) Multivariate analysis of the temporal variability of sugarcane ripening in south-eastern Brazil. Crop Pasture Sci 65:300–310. https://doi.org/10.1071/CP13160
Cardozo NP, de Bordonal RO, Panosso AR, Crusciol CAC (2020) A multivariate approach to determine the economic profitability of sugarcane production under diverse climatic conditions in Brazil. Sugar Tech 22:954–966. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12355-020-00854-7
Cheminant S, Wild M, Bouvier F et al (2011) DELLAs regulate chlorophyll and carotenoid biosynthesis to prevent photooxidative damage during seedling deetiolation in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 23:1849–1860. https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.111.085233
Chen D, Zhou W, Yang J et al (2021) Effects of seaweed extracts on the growth, physiological activity, cane yield and sucrose content of sugarcane in China. Front Plant Sci 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2021.659130
Cohen JD, Gray WM (2006) Auxin metabolism and signaling. Plant hormone signaling. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Hoboken, pp 37–66
Colebrook EH, Thomas SG, Phillips AL, Hedden P (2014) The role of gibberellin signalling in plant responses to abiotic stress. J Exp Biol 217:67–75. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.089938
Cortleven A, Schmülling T (2015) Regulation of chloroplast development and function by cytokinin. J Exp Bot 66:4999–5013. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erv132
Cunha FN, Teixeira MB, Soares FAL et al (2020) Industrial quality of sugarcane under fertigation with nitrogen and zinc. Sugar Tech 22:232–240. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12355-019-00762-5
Daros E, Oliveira RA, Zambon JLC, Bespalhok Filho J (2010) Catálogo nacional de variedades “RB” de cana-de-açúcar
Davies PJ (2010) The plant hormones: their nature, occurrence, and functions. In: Davies PJ (ed) Plant hormones: biosynthesis, signal transduction, action! Springer, Netherlands, pp 1–15
de Silva MA, Cato SC, Costa AGF (2010) Produtividade e qualidade tecnológica da soqueira de cana-de-açúcar submetida à aplicação de biorregulador e fertilizantes líquidos. Cienc Rural 40:774–780. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0103-84782010005000057
Degl’Innocenti E, Vaccà C, Guidi L, Soldatini GF (2003) CO2 photoassimilation and chlorophyll fluorescence in two clover species showing different response to O3. Plant Physiol Biochem 41:485–493. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0981-9428(03)00057-3
Dillewijn CV (1960) Botany of sugar cane. Botany of sugar cane
Egamberdieva D, Wirth SJ, Alqarawi AA et al (2017) Phytohormones and beneficial microbes: essential components for plants to balance stress and fitness. Front Microbiol. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2017.02104
Fahad S, Hussain S, Matloob A et al (2015) Phytohormones and plant responses to salinity stress: a review. Plant Growth Regul 75:391–404. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-014-0013-y
FAO (2021) Food and agriculture organization, commission on population and development. Population, food security, nutrition and sustainable development—Report of the secreary-general
Farooq MA, Niazi AK, Akhtar J et al (2019) Acquiring control: the evolution of ROS-Induced oxidative stress and redox signaling pathways in plant stress responses. Plant Physiol Biochem 141:353–369. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2019.04.039
Fernandes AC (2011) Cálculos na Agroindústria da Cana-de-Açúcar, 3rd edn. STAB, Piracicaba
Ferreira DF (2014) Sisvar: a guide for its bootstrap procedures in multiple comparisons. Ciência e Agrotecnol 38:109–112. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1413-70542014000200001
Foyer CH (2018) Reactive oxygen species, oxidative signaling and the regulation of photosynthesis. Environ Exp Bot 154:134–142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2018.05.003
Fraire-Velázquez S, Rodríguez-Guerra R, Sánchez-Calderón L (2011) Abiotic and biotic stress response crosstalk in plants. IntechOpen
Giannopolitis CN, Ries SK (1977) Superoxide dismutases: II. Purification and quantitative relationship with water-soluble protein in seedlings 1 2. Plant Physiol 59:315–318. https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.59.2.315
Gill SS, Tuteja N (2010) Reactive oxygen species and antioxidant machinery in abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants. Plant Physiol Biochem 48:909–930. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2010.08.016
Guo H, Wang Y, Liu H et al (2015) Exogenous GA3 application enhances xylem development and induces the expression of secondary wall biosynthesis related genes in Betula platyphylla. Int J Mol Sci 16:22960–22975. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms160922960
Gupta R, Chakrabarty SK (2013) Gibberellic acid in plant: still a mystery unresolved. Plant Signal Behav. https://doi.org/10.4161/psb.25504
Gupta DKJ, Palma JM, Corpas FJ (2018) Antioxidants and antioxidant enzymes in higher plants. Springer, Cham
Havir EA, McHale NA (1987) Biochemical and developmental characterization of multiple forms of catalase in tobacco leaves. Plant Physiol 84:450–455. https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.84.2.450
Hedden P, Thomas SG (2016) Annual plant reviews. John Wiley & Sons
Hirayama T, Mochida K (2022) Plant hormonomics: a key tool for deep physiological phenotyping to improve crop productivity. Plant Cell Physiol. https://doi.org/10.1093/pcp/pcac067
Hughes N, Mutran VM, Tomei J et al (2020) Strength in diversity? Past dynamics and future drivers affecting demand for sugar, ethanol, biogas and bioelectricity from Brazil’s sugarcane sector. Biomass Bioenerg 141:105676. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2020.105676
Iqbal N, Nazar R, Khan MIR et al (2011) Role of gibberellins in regulation of source–sink relations under optimal and limiting environmental conditions. Curr Sci 100:998–1007
Jalil SU, Ansari MI (2019) Role of phytohormones in recuperating salt stress. In: Akhtar MS (ed) Salt stress, microbes, and plant interactions: mechanisms and molecular approaches. Springer, Singapore, pp 91–104
Javid MG, Sorooshzadeh A, Moradi F, Allahdadi I (2011) The role of phytohormones in alleviating salt stress in crop plants. Aust J Crop Sci 5:726–734
Jiang K, Asami T (2018) Chemical regulators of plant hormones and their applications in basic research and agriculture*. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 82:1265–1300. https://doi.org/10.1080/09168451.2018.1462693
Jogawat A, Yadav B et al (2021) Crosstalk between phytohormones and secondary metabolites in the drought stress tolerance of crop plants: a review. Physiol Plant 172:1106–1132. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppl.13328
Kazan K (2013) Auxin and the integration of environmental signals into plant root development. Ann Bot 112:1655–1665. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mct229
Khan NA, Singh S, Nazar R, Lone PM (2007) The source-sink relationship in mustard. Asian Aust J Plant Sci Biotechnol 9:10
Khan MIR, Singh A, Poor P (2023) Plant hormones in crop improvement, 1st edn. Academic Press
Koshiba T (1993) Cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase in seedlings and leaves of maize (Zea mays). Plant Cell Physiol 34:713–721. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.pcp.a078474
Leite GHP, Crusciol CAC, de Silva MA, Venturini Filho WG (2008) Reguladores vegetais e qualidade tecnológica da cana-de-açúcar em meio de safra. Ciênc e Agrotecnol 32:1843–1850. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1413-70542008000600024
Li W, Herrera-Estrella L, Tran L-SP (2016) The Yin–Yang of cytokinin homeostasis and drought acclimation/adaptation. Trends Plant Sci 21:548–550. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2016.05.006
Little RE, Gladen BC (1999) Levels of lipid peroxides in uncomplicated pregnancy: a review of the literature. Reprod Toxicol 13:347–352. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0890-6238(99)00033-7
Ljung K (2013) Auxin metabolism and homeostasis during plant development. Development 140:943–950. https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.086363
Maggio A, Barbieri G, Raimondi G, De Pascale S (2010) Contrasting effects of GA3 treatments on tomato plants exposed to increasing salinity. J Plant Growth Regul 29:63–72. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-009-9114-7
Mahalingam R (2015) Consideration of combined stress: a crucial paradigm for improving multiple stress tolerance in plants. In: Mahalingam R (ed) Combined stresses in plants: physiological, molecular, and biochemical aspects. Springer, Cham, pp 1–25
Mandal M, Sarkar M, Khan A et al (2022) Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) in plants—maintenance of structural individuality and functional blend. Adv Redox Res 5:100039. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arres.2022.100039
Manechini JRV, da Santos PHS, Romanel E et al (2021) Transcriptomic analysis of changes in gene expression during flowering induction in sugarcane under controlled photoperiodic conditions. Front Plant Sci. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2021.635784
Mano Y, Nemoto K (2012) The pathway of auxin biosynthesis in plants. J Exp Bot 63:2853–2872. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/ers091
McSteen P (2010) Auxin and monocot development. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2:a001479. https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a001479
Müller M, Munné-Bosch S (2021) Hormonal impact on photosynthesis and photoprotection in plants. Plant Physiol 185:1500–1522. https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiaa119
Muñoz P, Munné-Bosch S (2018) Photo-oxidative stress during leaf, flower and fruit development. Plant Physiol 176:1004–1014. https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.17.01127
Nakano Y, Asada K (1981) Hydrogen peroxide is scavenged by ascorbate-specific peroxidase in spinach chloroplasts. Plant Cell Physiol 22:867–880. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.pcp.a076232
Pemadasa MA (1982a) differential abaxial and adaxial stomatal responses to indole-3-acetic acid in Commelina communis L. New Phytol 90:209–219. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.1982.tb03253.x
Pemadasa MA (1982b) Effects of phenylacetic acid on abaxial and adaxial stomatal movements and its interaction with abscisic acid. New Phytol 92:21–30. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.1982.tb03359.x
Phillips KA, Skirpan AL, Liu X et al (2011) vanishing tassel2 encodes a grass-specific tryptophan aminotransferase required for vegetative and reproductive development in maize. Plant Cell 23:550–566. https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.110.075267
Poonam, Khatkar SP, Kumar R et al (2015) Synthesis, characterization, enhanced photoluminescence and biological activity of Eu(III) complexes with organic ligands. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 26:7086–7095. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-015-3330-7
Raza A, Mehmood SS, Tabassum J, Batool R (2019) Targeting plant hormones to develop abiotic stress resistance in wheat. In: Hasanuzzaman M, Nahar K, Hossain MDA (eds) Wheat production in changing environments: responses, adaptation and tolerance. Springer, Singapore, pp 557–577
Rossetto MRM, Purgatto E, do Nascimento JRO et al (2003) Effects of gibberellic acid on sucrose accumulation and sucrose biosynthesizing enzymes activity during banana ripening. Plant Growth Regul 41:207–214. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:GROW.0000007508.91064.8c
Sabagh AE, Mbarki S, Hossain A et al (2021) Potential role of plant growth regulators in administering crucial processes against abiotic stresses. Front Agron. https://doi.org/10.3389/fagro.2021.648694
Shapiro SS, Wilk MB (1965) An analysis of variance test for normality (complete samples). Biometrika 52:591–611. https://doi.org/10.1093/biomet/52.3-4.591
Silva VM, Tavanti RFR, Gratão PL et al (2020) Selenate and selenite affect photosynthetic pigments and ROS scavenging through distinct mechanisms in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) walp) plants. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 201:110777. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.110777
Snaith PJ, Mansfield TA (1984) Studies of the inhibition of stomatal opening by naphth-1-ylacetic acid and abscisic acid. J Exp Bot 35:1410–1418. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/35.10.1410
Snedecor GW, Cochran WG (1983) Statistical Methods. 6th Edition, Oxford and IBH, New Delhi
Soil Survey Staff (2014) Keys to Soil Taxonomy. 12th Edition, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Washington DC.
Stern DB, Hanson MR, Barkan A (2004) Genetics and genomics of chloroplast biogenesis: maize as a model system. Trends Plant Sci 9:293–301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2004.04.001
Takahashi S, Badger MR (2011) Photoprotection in plants: a new light on photosystem II damage. Trends Plant Sci 16:53–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2010.10.001
Tischler AL, Jeronimo EM, Lúcio AD et al (2021) Sugarcane harvest time for processing and technological quality of brown sugar. Pesq Agropec Bras 56:e02435. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1678-3921.pab2021.v56.02435
Tripathi P, Chandra A, Prakash J (2019) Physio-biochemical assessment and expression analysis of genes associated with drought tolerance in sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) exposed to GA3 at grand growth stage. Plant Biol 21:45–53. https://doi.org/10.1111/plb.12919
Tuan PA, Yamasaki Y, Kanno Y et al (2019) Transcriptomics of cytokinin and auxin metabolism and signaling genes during seed maturation in dormant and non-dormant wheat genotypes. Sci Rep 9:3983. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-40657-9
UDOP (2018) União Nacional de Bioenergia. Características Agronômicas das Variedades IAC
van Raij B, Cantarella H, Quaggio JA, Furlani AMC (1997) Recomedações de adubação e calagem para o Estado de São Paulo. Instituto Agronômico (IAC), Campinas
Waldheim L, Monis M, Verde Leal MR (2001) Biomass power generation: sugar cane bagasse and trash. Progress in thermochemical biomass conversion. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, pp 509–523
Wang YH, Irving HR (2011) Developing a model of plant hormone interactions. Plant Signal Behav 6:494–500. https://doi.org/10.4161/psb.6.4.14558
Wang G-L, Que F, Xu Z-S et al (2015) Exogenous gibberellin altered morphology, anatomic and transcriptional regulatory networks of hormones in carrot root and shoot. BMC Plant Biol 15:290. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-015-0679-y
Weng J-K, Lynch JH, Matos JO, Dudareva N (2021) Adaptive mechanisms of plant specialized metabolism connecting chemistry to function. Nat Chem Biol 17:1037–1045. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-021-00822-6
Wu ZZ, Ying YQ, Zhang YB et al (2018) Alleviation of drought stress in Phyllostachys edulis by N and P application. Sci Rep 8:228. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-18609-y
Yamaguchi S (2008) Gibberellin metabolism and its regulation. Annu Rev Plant Biol 59:225–251. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.arplant.59.032607.092804
Yang DQ, Luo YL, Dong WH et al (2018) Response of photosystem II performance and antioxidant enzyme activities in stay-green wheat to cytokinin. Photosynthetica 56:567–577. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-017-0708-1
Yuan L, Xu DQ (2001) Stimulation effect of gibberellic acid short-term treatment on leaf photosynthesis related to the increase in Rubisco content in broad bean and soybean. Photosynth Res 68:39–47. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011894912421
Acknowledgements
The first author received a scholarship from the CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Level Personnel—Finance Code 001). The authors thank the BP Bunge Bioenergia (Moema sugar mill), COCAL (Paraguaçu Paulista sugar mill), COFCO International Brasil S.A. (Potirendaba sugar mill), Delta Sucroenergia S.A. (Delta sugar mill), Raízen (Barra sugar mill and Santa Elisa sugar mill), Santa Terezinha (Umuarama sugar mill), São Martinho (São Martinho sugar mill), and Tereos (Cruz Alta sugar mill) groups for providing the experimental areas and analytical support. The fifth author would like to thank the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for an award for excellence in research.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Design the experiment: CACC. Obtain and process the data: CMH, APAPF and LMJ. Analyze the data: CMH and APAPF. Wrote the paper: CMH, APAPF and LM with contribution of all co-authors. All authors confirm being contributor of this work and has approved it for publication.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Additional information
Handling Editor: Boon Chin Tan.
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
de Morais Hervatin, C., de Almeida Prado Filho, A.P., Momesso, L. et al. Effects of Plant Growth Regulators on Sugarcane Productivity and Quality of the Art Through the Increase in Photosynthetic and Antioxidant Activity. J Plant Growth Regul (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-024-11354-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-024-11354-3