Ethylene: Agricultural Sources and Applications

With an ever-increasing demand for more food supply, agricultural scientists will have to search for new ways and technologies to promote food production. In recent decades, plant growth regulators (PGRs) have made great strides in promoting plant growth and development. PGRs are organic compounds which have the ability to dramatically affect physiological plant processes when present in extremely low concentrations (in the range of micro-to picograms). Although all higher plants have the ability to synthesize PGRs endogenously, they do respond to the exogenous sources most likely due to not having the capacity to synthesize sufficient endogenous phytohormones for optimal growth and development under given climatic and environmental conditions. In recent years, PGRs have established their position as a new generation of agrochemicals after pesticides, insecticides and herbicides. Interest in the commercial use of PGRs for improving plant growth and crop yields is also increasing because of their non-polluting nature. The use of PGRs in the post-harvest technology is well established and many new breakthroughs have recently been revealed.