Ethephon Residual Catalysis on Unrooted Impatiens hawkeri Cuttings and Stock Plants

Leatherwood, W. Roland; Dole, John M.; Faust, James E.

doi:10.21273/hortsci.44.2.532

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…The majority of synthetic PGRs suppress stem elongation by inhibiting gibberellin biosynthesis (Davis et al, 1988;Rademacher, 2000). In contrast, ethephon [(2-chloroethyl) phosphonic acid] is a PGR that releases ethylene (C 2 H 4 ), chlorine (Cl -), and hydrogen phosphate (H 2 PO 4 -) on application and is known to inhibit internode elongation, induce branching, and cause abscission of flower buds and leaves (Glady et al, 2007;Leatherwood et al, 2009;Maynard and Swan, 1963;Starman et al, 2004).…”

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Ethephon Substrate Drenches Inhibit Stem Extension of Floriculture Crops

Miller¹,

Mattson²,

Xie³

et al. 2012

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Ethephon [(2-chloroethyl) phosphonic acid] is a plant growth regulator that releases ethylene on application and can abort flowers, stimulate branching, and inhibit stem elongation. Although ethephon is used as a foliar spray during the commercial production of many ornamental crops, its effectiveness as a drench has not been widely investigated. We performed experiments to quantify the effects of an ethephon drench on growth and flowering of a range of bedding plant and Narcissus cultivars and to assess the effect of lime on ethylene release from a peat substrate. A substrate drench of 0, 100, 250, or 500 mg·L−1 ethephon was applied to 12 potted Narcissus cultivars at one location, and up to 200 mg·L−1 was applied to 24 cultivars of bedding plants at three locations. Compared with untreated controls, ethephon generally reduced plant height at flowering and the effect increased with increased concentration. For example, Narcissus treated with a 250 mg·L−1 ethephon drench had stems that were 20% to 40% shorter at the end of flowering than control plants. However, ethephon drenches generally caused a 2- to 3-day flowering delay, and two cultivars had a phytotoxic response. Among the bedding plants studied, a 100-mg·L−1 ethephon drench suppressed plant height at flowering by greater than 30% in Catharanthus, Celosia, Dianthus, and Verbena, but by only 10% to 15% in Lobelia, Lycopersicon, and Tagetes. The drenches also delayed flowering in 10 of the 16 crops measured and decreased dry mass accumulation in all of the crops measured. Ethephon release from peat substrate became maximal ≈120 h after application and was dramatically increased by incorporation of dolomitic lime up to a rate of 9.5 kg lime per m3 of peat. Collectively, these studies show that ethephon substrate drenches inhibit stem elongation in a broad range of floriculture crops, but can also delay flowering and reduce biomass accumulation.

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Ethephon Substrate Drenches Inhibit Stem Extension of Floriculture Crops

Miller¹,

Mattson²,

Xie³

et al. 2012

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“…Worldwide, ethephon is the most widely used PGR and is used to inhibit stem elongation, induce abscission of flower buds and leaves, promote branching, promote flowering of pineapple [Ananas comosus (L.) Merr. ], and accelerate fruit ripening (Ben-Tal, 1992;Cooke and Randall, 1968;Glady et al, 2007;Leatherwood et al, 2009;Miller and Olberg, 2016;Miller et al, 2012;Starman et al, 2004;Turnbull et al, 1999;Yamaguchi et al, 1971).…”

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Root Absorption and Xylem Movement of Ethephon in Tomato

Miller

Tang

2022

J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci.

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Although ethephon is commonly used as a plant growth regulator during commercial production of horticultural crops, information on its movement within plants is limited. In this study, we developed a method to detect ethephon in plant tissues, and determined ethephon localization and movement using tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) as a model system. Tissues were ground in an acidic buffer that preserved ethephon intact. Ethylene was released from the extracts by adding sodium hydroxide and was determined subsequently by gas chromatography. Ethephon was detected in leaves within 1 hour of application to peat-based root zones and within 10 minutes in hydroponics. In a pulse–chase experiment, ethephon levels increased initially, then decreased after the plants were returned to ethephon-free solutions. Ethephon was present in directly collected xylem fluid; fluid collected from petiole stumps (after leaf blade excision) had similar ethephon levels between the different petioles. Stem girdling had no effect on ethephon accumulation in leaves. Together, these data indicate ethephon is readily mobile in the xylem stream and provides insight into the commercial use of ethephon as a root zone-applied growth regulator.

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