Plant Growth Regulators and Their Effects on Cereal Crops – A Comprehensive Review

Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs) are organic substances that, when administered in small amounts, affect the physiological and developmental processes of plants. PGRs control germination, vegetative growth, reproductive development, grain filling, and resistance to abiotic stressors in cereal crops like wheat, rice, maize, barley, and sorghum. PGRs can improve growth characteristics, yield qualities, and grain production when used wisely, especially in stress-prone situations, according to a number of studies (Pandey et al., 2000; Govind et al., 2007; Sharma et al., 2008). Research data from various agro-ecological locations on the contribution of main classes of PGRs, such as auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins, abscisic acid, ethylene, and sulphydryl compounds like thiourea, to increasing cereal crop productivity are critically synthesized in this study. Source-sink interactions, physiological mechanisms, and stress mitigation effects are highlighted.