Plant growth regulators are used to do what in plants?

• A. KILL plants
• B. Only affect root growth
• C. Do not kill plants but modify growth and reproduction
• D. Only retard leaf color

Answer: (C)

Plant growth regulators are chemicals that influence how a plant grows and develops rather than acting as poisons to kill it. They’re used to adjust growth and development—stimul ating or inhibiting root and shoot growth, promoting flowering or fruit set, delaying or speeding ripening, and shaping reproductive development. This means they don’t kill plants in the way herbicides do, and their effects can span more than just leaves or roots. Some common regulators include auxins for rooting, gibberellins for stem growth, cytokinins for cell division and shoot formation, and ethylene for fruit ripening. Because their main purpose is to modify growth and reproduction, the best description is that plant growth regulators do not kill plants but modify growth and reproduction.