DEVELOPMENT OF SINKS AS AN AUTOCATALYTIC FEEDBACK PROCESS - A TEST USING THE ASYMMETRIC GROWTH OF LEAVES IN MESTHA (HIBISCUS-CANNABINUS L)

Differential development of sinks that depend on a common resource poo l has been viewed as a consequence of an autocatalytic feedback proces s of flow of resource units into them. Thr feed-back process implies t hat the stronger a sink is relative to its competitors, the greater is its probability of getting further resources as a non-linear function of its resource drawing ability and sink size. We show that this mode l contrasts with that of the sink-strength dependent model in its pred iction of the subsequent development of the initial asymmetry of growi ng leaves when their resource drawing ability is enhanced. By artifici ally enhancing the resource drawing ability of the leaves of Mestha (H ibiscus cannabinus L.) by external application of growth regulators, w e test these predictions and show that the results are in conformity w ith the autocatalytic model proposed by Ganeshaiah and Uma Shaanker. ( C) 1995 Annals of Botany Company