Tobacco Flower Initiation

[dubhelix]

I posted this in Knuckleheads Grow Blog as it relates to indoor seed lighting, but thought I'd share it here as well. Interesting information regarding Tobacco's Flowering behavior having to do with the number of nodes and the chemical signals originating in the roots and/or leaves.


http://jxb.oxfordjournals.org/content/47/4/465.full.pdf

 

[TheOtherOne]

Makes you wonder if grafting them onto a different nightshade stock would alter the appearance of said signals.
Might be an interesting project for someone with too much free time.

 

[JessicaNicot]

there have actually been a number of studies conducted where tobacco was grafted with tomato for various reasons. the one I remember most had to do with alkaloid (nicotine) synthesis and movement.

 

[TheOtherOne]

Does nicotine actually move through the plant's system? I've always wondered.
Not like I'd smoke a tomato/tobacco graft anyways, I'd be more worried about the tomato alkaloids being present than a lack of nicotine.

 

[JessicaNicot]

yes. nicotine is synthesized in the roots and moves up into the leaves after you top it.