On the use of morphactin and triiodobenzoic acid in apical dominance studies

Application of either CFM or TIBA to bean plants caused four main effects: (i) inhibition of main shoot and leaf growth; (ii) abscission of young leaflets and internodes; (iii) limited outgrowth of lateral buds below the point of application of the substances followed by abscission of these buds; (iv) abscission of all other lateral buds. Although the chemical pruning effects of CFM and TIBA may be the result of their action in blocking auxin transport, the use of these substances for analysing auxin effects in apical dominance is questionable.