Apical dominance is caused by

Step-by-step solution

The phenomenon where the later stems are suppressed in growth by the growth of the central stem is referred to as apical dominance. This occurs at the shoot tip due to the production of plant hormones. Plant hormones are chemicals that regulate the growth and development of the plant. The hormone that induces apical dominance is auxins and the hormone that break apical dominance is cytokinin.