Abstract:Excised garlic scapes treated with 3H-labelled 6-benzyladenlne (BA) were stored under 25℃ in the dark for respectively 8, 5, 10, 15, and 20 days before they were sampled. By mesuring the distribution of the 3H radioactivity lengthwise along these garlic scapes the following results were obtained: BA could translocate across a long distance to the apical cloves. After 20 days of storage when the scapes were completely senescent, up to 48% of the fed radioactivity accumulated in the cloves. This translocation showed a strong acropetal polarity, which appeared to be caused by the sink effect of the top cloves. The accumulation of 3H radioactivity in the garlic cloves was a steady progress, linear to the number of days, and synehronious with the senescent of the garlic scapes.
From the above results, the significance and mechanism of BA translocation in garlic scapes were discussed