Stimulation of Plant Growth by Antibiotics

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Abstract
Data from 3 types of expts. have shown a stimulation of plant growth by antibiotics: tissue culture, standard laboratroy seed germination, and seed germination and subsequent growth in soil. In all cases, the stimulation was caused by levels of antibiotics around 5 ppm. The tissue used for in vitro studies was the virus tumor from the sorrel plant (Rumex acetosa). This tissue has been shown to require thiamine for growth. In the absence of thiamine, antibiotics will allow apparently normal growth of the tissue. Antibiotics so effective include: penicillin, terramycin, streptomycin, thiolutin, and bacitracin. Greenhouse studies tn soil using sweet corn and sorrel with terramycin showed an increase in height and wt. of the treated plants as compared with the controls.