Translocation is the movement of water, nutrients, sugars, hormones, or other substances through a plant’s vascular system. Water and dissolved minerals move primarily upward through the xylem, while sugars and many signalling compounds move through the phloem from areas of production, such as mature leaves, to areas of use or storage, such as roots, flowers, fruits, and developing shoots.
In horticulture, the term is also used to describe how systemic pesticides move within a plant after being absorbed. Some products are translocated only upward in the xylem, while others can move in both the xylem and phloem, affecting how thoroughly they protect different parts of the plant.
See Also
