Plant Growth Regulators: Enhancing Mulberry Leaf Characteristics for Sustainable Sericulture
Gali Suresh
Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCS HAU), Hisar, India.
Priyanka Sharma
Department of Crop Physiology, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam, India.
Basant Kumar Dadrwal
*
Sri Karan Narendra Agriculture University, Jobner, India.
Rakesh Kumar Jat
Sri Karan Narendra Agriculture University, Jobner, India.
Vinay Pratap Singh
Plant Physiology, ABV, COA, Khurai, District Sagar (JNKVV, Jabalapur), India.
Mukul Kumar
Department of Plant Physiology & Biochemistry, BAU, Sabour- Bihar, India.
Asha Kumari
*
ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-IARI), Gauria Karma, Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, India.
Madisetty Sai Venkata Ravi Teja
Department of Crop Physiology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Mulberry (Morus spp.) is the exclusive feeding source for the silkworm Bombyx mori, and its physiological and biochemical traits directly influence silkworm growth, cocoon yield, and silk quality. The productivity and nutritive value of mulberry leaves are governed not only by genotype and environment but also by endogenous plant hormones and exogenous growth regulators that coordinate growth, metabolism, and stress responses. Hormones such as auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins, abscisic acid, jasmonates, salicylic acid, and brassinosteroids regulate key processes including leaf expansion, chlorophyll stability, nutrient assimilation, and secondary metabolite accumulation. Exogenous application of growth regulators has been shown to enhance leaf biomass, improve protein and carbohydrate content, delay senescence, and mitigate abiotic stresses, thereby improving leaf quality for sericulture. Recent advances in molecular biology, omics technologies, nanotechnology, and biostimulant-based practices are providing new avenues to manipulate hormone pathways for sustainable mulberry improvement. This review integrates advances in understanding the hormonal regulation of mulberry physiology and biochemistry, critically evaluates outcomes of growth regulator interventions, and identifies innovative approaches to enhance resilience and sustainability in sericulture.
Keywords: Abiotic stress tolerance, growth regulators, mulberry physiology, nanotechnology, omics, sericulture, sustainable agriculture