Collective term for chemical messenger substances (signalling molecules) of higher plants. These plant hormones control important biochemical processes such as growth, differentiation, maturation and defence reactions. They are effective even in very low concentrations and are regarded as the "nervous system" of plants. It is often not the absolute concentration that is decisive, but the quantitative ratio of the individual phytohormones to each other; these often interact in complex ways. The content also depends on the state of development of the plant.
The most important groups are abscisic acid, auxins, cytokinins and gibberellins. The transport of these substances takes place via the plasmodesmata, among other things, which are thus significantly involved in the transmission of hormonal signals between neighbouring cells. In grapevines, phytohormones significantly influence the development of the berries, the control of the ripening process, the reaction to drought stress and the defence against pathogens.
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