Question
What factors influence plant growth?
Answer
Plant growth is influenced by a variety of factors, including genetic traits, environmental conditions, and hormonal regulation. Here are the key factors that affect plant growth:
Genetic and Functional Traits
Functional Traits: Traits such as specific leaf area, wood density, seed mass, and maximum height influence growth rates differently across plant life stages. For instance, specific leaf area is correlated with growth in seedlings but not in adults, while wood density’s correlation with growth is consistent across stages (Gibert et al., 2016).
Transcription Factors: Various transcription factors, including TCP, WRKY, GRFs, and AP2/ERF, play crucial roles in regulating plant growth by responding to both endogenous signals (like hormones) and environmental cues (such as light and stress) (Danisman, 2016; Yang et al., 2025; Omidbakhshfard et al., 2015; Feng et al., 2020).
Environmental Factors
Light: Light is a critical environmental factor, with phytochrome interacting factors (PIFs) mediating plant responses to light, affecting processes like seed germination and shade avoidance (Cai and Huq, 2024).
Carbon Dioxide: Elevated atmospheric CO2 levels enhance photosynthesis and influence secondary metabolic processes, which in turn affect plant growth and development (Gamage et al., 2018).
In Vitro Conditions: Factors such as light intensity, temperature, and gas composition in culture systems can significantly impact plant growth and morphogenesis (Hughes, 1981).
Hormonal and Stress Responses
Hormonal Regulation: Phytohormones regulate growth and development, often interacting with transcription factors to mediate responses to environmental stresses and developmental cues (Miao et al., 2024; Berry and Argueso, 2022).
Stress Responses: Plants balance growth and defense mechanisms, with transcription factors like WRKY playing a role in modulating growth under stress conditions (Yang et al., 2025).
Conclusion
Plant growth is a complex process influenced by a combination of genetic traits, environmental conditions, and hormonal regulation. Understanding these factors and their interactions is crucial for optimising plant growth and improving agricultural productivity.
References
Gibert, A., Gray, E., Westoby, M., Wright, I., & Falster, D., 2016. On the link between functional traits and growth rate: meta‐analysis shows effects change with plant size, as predicted. Journal of Ecology, 104. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12594
Danisman, S., 2016. TCP Transcription Factors at the Interface between Environmental Challenges and the Plant’s Growth Responses. Frontiers in Plant Science, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2016.01930
Cai, X., & Huq, E., 2024. Shining Light on Plant Growth: Recent Insights into Phytochrome Interacting Factors.. Journal of experimental botany. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erae276
Gamage, D., Thompson, M., Sutherland, M., Hirotsu, N., Makino, A., & Seneweera, S., 2018. New insights into the cellular mechanisms of plant growth at elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations.. Plant, cell & environment, 41 6, pp. 1233-1246. https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.13206
Hughes, K., 1981. In vitro ecology: Exogenous factors affecting growth and morphogenesis in plant culture systems. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 21, pp. 281-288. https://doi.org/10.1016/0098-8472(81)90038-1
Yang, L., Fang, S., Liu, L., Zhao, L., Chen, W., Li, X., Xu, Z., Chen, S., Wang, H., & Yu, D., 2025. WRKY transcription factors: Hubs for regulating plant growth and stress responses.. Journal of integrative plant biology. https://doi.org/10.1111/jipb.13828
Omidbakhshfard, M., Proost, S., Fujikura, U., & Mueller‐Roeber, B., 2015. Growth-Regulating Factors (GRFs): A Small Transcription Factor Family with Important Functions in Plant Biology.. Molecular plant, 8 7, pp. 998-1010. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molp.2015.01.013
Feng, K., Hou, X., Xing, G., Liu, J., Duan, A., Xu, Z., Li, M., Jing, Z., & Xiong, A., 2020. Advances in AP2/ERF super-family transcription factors in plant. Critical Reviews in Biotechnology, 40, pp. 750 – 776. https://doi.org/10.1080/07388551.2020.1768509
Miao, L., Wang, X., Yu, C., Ye, C., Yan, Y., & Wang, H., 2024. What factors control plant height?1. Journal of Integrative Agriculture. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jia.2024.03.058
Berry, H., & Argueso, C., 2022. More than growth: Phytohormone-regulated transcription factors controlling plant immunity, plant development and plant architecture.. Current opinion in plant biology, pp. 102309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pbi.2022.102309
