A vegetable vendor wants to keep harvested leafy vegetables fresh and green for a longer duration before selling them in the market. Which of the following plant growth regulators should be applied to achieve this by delaying leaf senescence?

Step-by-step solution

Cytokinins promote nutrient mobilisation, which helps in the delay of leaf senescence. Therefore, applying cytokinins helps in keeping leafy vegetables fresh and green for a longer duration. Ethylene and abscisic acid are senescence-promoting hormones, which would cause the leaves to yellow and degrade faster. Gibberellic acid is used to delay senescence in fruits on trees, but cytokinin is specifically associated with delaying leaf senescence via nutrient mobilisation. Answer: Cytokinin