Strengthening plants with Aspirin

[ChinaVoodoo]

Here's an article I read just now. Seems legit.http://www.gardenguides.com/131364-effect-aspirin-cut-flowers.html

They recommend 1.5 tablets in 2 gallons of water, sprayed on the leaves once every three weeks.

 

[Ben Brand]

So, when you have a headache, you go suck on a leaf!!!!!

 

[USHOG]

worm compost tea will help when used as a folar. Never tried an aspirin. tell us how it works out

 

[ArizonaDave]

Here's an article I read just now. Seems legit.http://www.gardenguides.com/131364-effect-aspirin-cut-flowers.html

They recommend 1.5 tablets in 2 gallons of water, sprayed on the leaves once every three weeks.

worm compost tea will help when used as a folar. Never tried an aspirin. tell us how it works out

I'm interested to see how this works out myself

 

[USHOG]

My grandma taught us that when you have fresh flowers an aspirin would make them last longer if added to their water. Also we add aspirin to the water for our Christmas tree. I have never tested it against plain water or other plants or as a folar

 

[deluxestogie]

I suspect that this popular narrative about aspirin as a root stimulant results from a conflation of the understanding of willow tea, salicylic acid found in willow bark, and acetyl salicylic acid (or aspirin). From what I can gather, the marginally effective root stimulant in willow tea, made from soaking cut willow stems in water, is indole butyric acid, and not the salicylic acid found in willow bark. So aspirin is off base. Aspirin does slow wilting of cut flowers, when added to the vase water, apparently by suppressing ethylene production, but that's not relevant to growing tobacco.

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/crops-and-gardening/transplanting-root-stimulants.aspx

http://www.ehow.com/how_6566732_homemade-starter-solution-plant-cuttings.html

It is fairly easy to find testimonials for vitamin B-1, root stimulators, and other garden products. It is more difficult to find published studies on the efficacy of these materials. I encourage gardeners to carefully scrutinize anecdotal claims and seek out science-based information.

https://ag.arizona.edu/yavapai/anr/hort/byg/archive/vitaminb1androotstimulators.html

Indole butyric acid (IBA) is one of the most common auxin formulations especially in tissue culture. In
cuttings, it has been found to increase the number of roots, to increase rooting percentage, to increase
both parameters, or to do neither. IBA has had some success in root regeneration in transplanted trees; it
may help redirect resources to the roots by suppressing crown growth.

Naphthylacetic acid (NAA) is also a commonly used auxin and often the active ingredient in commercial
preparations. NAA tends to be toxic to seedling root development, as it inhibits primary root growth and
enhances lateral root growth. This latter activity may account for NAA’s success in regenerating roots of
transplanted and root-pruned trees. Like IBA, NAA apparently suppresses crown growth, which also may
redirect resources to the roots.

http://puyallup.wsu.edu/~linda chalker-scott/horticultural myths_files/Myths/Vitamin B1.pdf

Google searches on root stimulants are polluted with commercial products and copy-paste myths. So I would suggest caution when considering applying widely circulated gardener myths to your tobacco plants.

Bob

 

[USHOG]

That makes since. I just have never added anything in a folar spray that didn't come from my worm bens. I have tested worm compost tea many times and helps make for a healthier looking plant. I assume all of the additives people buy or try using are to gain an advantage over mother nature but I think it is hard to beat good soil but it does make them a ton of money.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I hear you guys. It almost sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? Simulate plant growth by adding a 10 cent pill to a gallon of water.

I did know that the root stimulant in willow was a totally different chemical.

For the sake of having something to do when I smoke my next pipe, in going to log into the university database and see if we have any peer reviewed articles on the subject. I'll report back, yea, or nay.

 

[Knucklehead]

10 cent pill

Unless you're in the hospital down here. Then they're about $10.00 a pop.

 

[Markw]

Some people use Aspirin over here as it is said to help protect your tom's tat.s from getting the dreaded blight.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Some people use Aspirin over here as it is said to help protect your tom's tat.s from getting the dreaded blight.

I'm going to London in a month. Should I get an English -English dictionary?

 

[Markw]

I'm going to London in a month. Should I get an English -English dictionary?

Lol sorry tomatoes and potatoes where are you staying in London ?

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

On my way back from India, I'll be stopping in London for two days to see the Stereo Mc's at Scala. We'll likely stay nearby.

 

[Markw]

You will need a few Aspirin after that night Lol

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I suspect that this popular narrative about aspirin as a root stimulant results from a conflation of the understanding of willow tea, salicylic acid found in willow bark, and acetyl salicylic acid (or aspirin). From what I can gather, the marginally effective root stimulant in willow tea, made from soaking cut willow stems in water, is indole butyric acid, and not the salicylic acid found in willow bark. So aspirin is off base. Aspirin does slow wilting of cut flowers, when added to the vase water, apparently by suppressing ethylene production, but that's not relevant to growing tobacco.

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/crops-and-gardening/transplanting-root-stimulants.aspx

http://www.ehow.com/how_6566732_homemade-starter-solution-plant-cuttings.html




Google searches on root stimulants are polluted with commercial products and copy-paste myths. So I would suggest caution when considering applying widely circulated gardener myths to your tobacco plants.

Bob

I searched the Science Direct Database and in short time was presented with a myriad of peer reviewed studies that either studied salicylic acid and plant growth specifically, or used previous research findings as a part of a larger theory or related hypothesis. It is overwhelmingly clear that salicylic acid promotes root growth. There are all kinds of other benefits that have been studied as well. For example salt stress on tobacco plants. Here are some excerpts.

Plant Physiology and Biochemistry vol.45 (2007) p501-507
Responses of transformed Catharanthus roseus roots to femtomolar concentrations of salicylic acid
Ileana Echevarrı-Machado, Rosa Marıa Escobedo-G.M., Alfonso Larque-Saavedra

1. Introduction
Salicylic or ortho-hydroxybenzoic acid (SA) is considered a plant growth regulator due to its effects on plant physiology [21]. One reported early effect of SA in plants is rooting induction in the detached root stocks of ornamentals, or in bean plant cuttings treated with this chemical [2,15,16,23]. Similarly, spraying of SA on to soybean plants shoots resulted in significantly higher root growth: 113% greater than a control [13]. Lower SA dosages regulate growth in other plant species [27], though the underlying mechanism by which spray application of SA onto the aerial portions of plants affects root growth is still unclear. Previous research also indicates that SA at picomolar concentration has significant stimulating effects on cellular growth and in vitro somatic embryogenesis of Coffea arabica [20]. The aim of the present study was to determine the sensitivity of Catharanthus roseus transformed root cultures to SA, and if picomolar or lower SA concentrations affect root growth and development when applied directly to roots grown in vitro. This root culture system is remarkable for its fast, hormone-independent growth, lack of geotropism, high lateral root branching and genetic stability. These features help in studying the simultaneous effects of exogenous compounds on various meristematic centers.

4. Conclusion
The present and previous results from this laboratory indicate that SA has a significant effect on root growth and that roots are highly sensitive to this compound. Future research needs to focus on evaluating changes in hormonal contents (auxin, CK and ethylene) in the different root tissues in the presence of SA, and on identifying the molecular and biochemical nature of these effects. The fact that femtomolar SA concentrations affected root growth in the bioassay system used here should also be addressed since it may prove to be a new way of determining the ability of plant growth hormones to affect physiological process.


Effects of salicylic acid on the growth of roots and shoots in soybean
Original Research Article
Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Volume 36, Issue 8, August 1998, Pages 563-565
Marco Antonio Gutiérrez-Coronado, Carlos Trejo-López, Alfonso Larqué-Saavedra
Abstract
Aqueous solutions of SA, applied as a spray to the shoots of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv. Cajeme), significantly increased the growth of shoots and roots as measured after seven days of treatment. Shoot spraying of SA had no significant effect on photosynthetic rate. Growth increases were obtained in plants cultivated either in the greenhouse or in the field; SA-induced increases in root growth of up to 100% were measured in the field.


Environmental and Experimental Botany vol.114 (2015) p117–128
Magical mystery tour: Salicylic acid signalling
Martin Jandaa,b, Eric Ruellandc

SA is a very important phytohormone. It regulates many physiological processes, such as cell growth, respiration, stomatal aperture, senescence, seed germination, seedling development and thermo-tolerance (Boatwright and Pajerowska-Mukhtar, 2013; Vlot et al., 2009). SA has a role in plant responses to many abiotic stresses such as chilling, heat, heavy metal toxicity, drought, osmotic stress and salinity (Horvath et al., 2007; Vicente and Plasencia, 2011). It also has a crucial role in plant pathogen response. The first mention of SA playing a role in plant defence was in 1979 (White, 1979). In 1990, two important studies described SA as a key component of Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR); a mechanism by which plants gain a long-lasting protection against a broad spectrum of pathogens at sites distant from that of the initial pathogen attack (Malamy et al., 1990; Metraux et al., 1990). SAR is associated with the induction of Pathogenesis Related (PR) genes, which contribute to the resistance. PR genes are induced in both local and systemic tissues (non-infected tissue). Priming of plant defence conferred by SAR can persist for weeks to months, and possibly even over the whole growing season (Durrant and Dong, 2004).

 

[deluxestogie]

Interesting findings. Any luck on an association between acetylsalicylic (asprin) and root growth? Perhaps the acetyl radical simply dissociates in solution.

It's also not clear to me whether the cited studies are referring to emergence and growth of roots from a cut stem (shoots?), or from naturally occurring roots in the ground.

Bob

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

The Catharanthus experiment appears to only have used roots. Here is one of the figures. EDIT: The roots were grown in something called B5 medium.


The soybean experiment started with seed, and application of SA began after growth began. There is a reference on that study to a previous one which used ASA;however, in that study, they were only researching it's effects on transpiration. I think due to the uncertainty of ASA has the same effect on root growth, it's best to acquire SA. EDIT: half the soybeans were grown in pot in field, and half were grown in pot in greenhouse. The day light was an hour longer in field. Results were better in field than in greenhouse

 

[jolly]

CV, in the last study you sited it mentions SA's involvment in plant defenses. I forget which, but salicylic acid and methlsalicylate (wintergreen) are involved in defending plants against pests and pathogens. In addition to the root growth, I wonder if its possible to boost desease/pest resistence by treating with these. Salicylic acid (minus the acetyl) can be found in a lot of facial acne treatments -- might be possible to use this. I think rather than using wintergreen, you can simply damage the lower leaves causing the plant to release this chemical into the air to communicate with the leaves above and beside it on other plants. This may raise the defence mechanisms of the plants making them more resistant -- and I wonder... perhaps more potent.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

CV, in the last study you sited it mentions SA's involvment in plant defenses. I forget which, but salicylic acid and methlsalicylate (wintergreen) are involved in defending plants against pests and pathogens. In addition to the root growth, I wonder if its possible to boost desease/pest resistence by treating with these. Salicylic acid (minus the acetyl) can be found in a lot of facial acne treatments -- might be possible to use this. I think rather than using wintergreen, you can simply damage the lower leaves causing the plant to release this chemical into the air to communicate with the leaves above and beside it on other plants. This may raise the defence mechanisms of the plants making them more resistant -- and I wonder... perhaps more potent.

I think you're right. I did see a paper on using transgenic tobacco to produce SA. Even if the effect of applying SA, and doing the haircut are the same, for large crops, the SA method would be labour cost saving. I'll keep reading. I may not come to any conclusions, but I'm learning either way.

 

[deluxestogie]

Something worth keeping in mind. The balance of metabolic processes in a plant is a study in economics. There is a metabolic cost to the plant, when it synthesizes compounds against its various predators. These responses are "switched" on and off, rather than being engaged continuously, because the plant's growth and reproductive success are diminished to some extent whenever it must produce aversive compounds to ward off predation. In order to balance its budget, a plant must forgo the production of something, if it increases its production of something else.

Plants "know" when they are being attacked, and have a rough categorization of the type of predation. They respond differently to simple leaf trauma, compare to leaf trauma caused by insects. If an exogenous compound (say, aspirin) triggers a response, will it be a useful response to whatever specific predatory herbivore may be present? Who knows.

Bob