Jornal de Horticultura
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Abstrato

Observations on the Role of Adventitious-Root-Holdfasts in Juvenile to Adult Transition in Black Pepper

AG Watson

The exogenous factors which influence the timing of transition from vegetative to adult form in different plant species include: time, (age); photoperiod; light intensity; light spectrum; temperature stress; and nutrient availability [1-3]. Observations of about 75,000 black pepper plants derived from rooted cuttings and 12,500 plants derived from tissue culture revealed that formation of functioning holdfasts, formed by adventitious roots growing from the nodes of orthotropic stems onto a solid substrate, was required before plagiotropic flowering stems were produced. In a review of the literature, we could find no references documenting the precursory role of holdfasts in the juvenile to adult transition, even though many species of woody vines and lianas exhibit juvenile to adult transition and produce adventitious root holdfasts to secure the juvenile stage to trees. This observation is important, not only for botanical science, but also for farmers producing black pepper.