# A Water Solution from the Seeds, Seedlings and Young Plants of the Corn Cockle (Agrostemma githago) Showed Plant-Growth Regulator Efficiency

## TL;DR

This study shows that water solutions from the corn cockle plant contain plant-growth regulators that can stimulate growth in other plants.

## Contribution

The study identifies auxin-like and cytokinin-like plant growth regulators in different parts of the corn cockle plant.

## Key findings

- Water solutions from corn cockle showed auxin-like activity equivalent to 0.5–4 mg L−1 of IBA in bioassays.
- Cytokinin-like activity was detected at lower levels, around 0.5–1 mg L−1 of BAP.
- LC-MS analysis confirmed the presence of free auxins and cytokinin analogues in the plant material.

## Abstract

Corn cockle (Agrostemma githago L. (Lychnis githago (L.) Scop.)) is the main ingredient in some plant preparations for biostimulation in agriculture, and it elicits many positive responses. In our study, we attempted to determine if the fresh and dry plant material of A. githago contained auxin-like and cytokinin-like growth regulators (PGRs). Cucumis and mung bean bioassays were used to determine the presence of auxin-like PGRs and Cucumis and Triticum bioassays were used to determine the presence of cytokinin-like PGRs. A water solution derived from the crushed, homogenized and extracted seeds, fresh and dry seedlings, and fresh and dry young plants showed auxin-like activity in both bioassays. The activity in the Cucumis bioassay corresponded to 0.5 to 2 mg L−1 of Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), and in the mung bean bioassay, the activity corresponded to 0.5 to 4 mg L−1 of IBA. While the same water solutions showed weak or no cytokinin-like activity in the Cucumis cotyledon expansion bioassay, and they showed an activity of approximately 0.5 to 1 mg L−1 of 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) in the Triticum bioassay. An LC-MS analysis confirmed the presence of free auxins, low levels of or no auxin analogues, a small amount of free cytokinins and a higher level of their cytokinin analogues in the samples, seeds, dry seedlings and young plants of A. githago, which was likely related to the fine-tuning between the free and analogue forms of the PGRs in the water solutions used in the experiments.