What Is the Commercial Use of Plant Growth Regulators?
The ability to influence the growth and development of plants has become more important as the agricultural industry has become increasingly mechanized and as the public has demanded more high-quality produce. If one is going to mechanically remove all the fruit from a plant at a given point in time, it is desirable that as many of the fruits be mature and of desirable appearance as possible. If the harvesting process occurs over a period of days or weeks, it also would be desirable to hold the crop in a good condition over that time. If larger leaves add to the economic value of the crop, then it is desirable to treat the plants in such a way as to reduce the production and growth of lateral branches with smaller leaves. In many cases, naturally occurring plant hormones or synthetic substitutes have been found to have effects beneficial to the agricultural industry in their efforts to deliver the types of high-quality produce to the consumer. Of the five major plant hormones (review “
