INTRODUCTION Steroids play a role as essential hormones in plants as well as in animals. Plants produce numerous steroids and ste-rols, some of which are recognized as hormones in animals (Geuns, 1978; Jones and Roddick, 1988). Brassinolide (BL) is the most bioactive form of the growth-promoting plant steroids termed brassinosteroids (BRs). Grove et al. (1979) purified 4 mg of BL from ‫ف‬ 40 kg...

Vegetable oil utilization is determined by its fatty acid composition. In soybean and other grain crops, during the seed development oil accumulation is important trait for value in food or industrial applications. Seed development is relatively short and sensitive to unfavorable abiotic conditions. These stresses can lead to a numerous undesirable qualitative as well as quantitative changes in...

Plant hormones are small molecules that regulate plant growth and development, as well as responses to changing environmental conditions. By modifying the production, distribution or signal transduction of these hormones, plants are able to regulate and coordinate both growth and/or stress tolerance to promote survival or escape from environmental stress. A central role for the gibberellin (GA)...