Chemical Growth Control: 

 Ethephon as a Growth Retardant 



Wesley R. Autio and Duane W. Greene 



Department of Plant & Soil Sciences, University of Massachusetts 



With the loss of Alar*, the only chemical 

 available for reducing vegetative growth is ethe- 

 phon. It functions as a growth retardant in the 

 same way that it initiates early ripening: it 

 releases ethylene within the plant tissues after 

 application, and ethylene can retard growth. In 

 1991 and 1992, we conducted a study to deter- 



mine the effects of ethephon and a number of 

 mechanical growth-retarding treatments (scor- 

 ing, ringing, and root pruning) on growth and 

 fruit characteristics. Results from other treat- 

 ments were discussed previously in Fruit Notes 

 [1992, 57(3):l-5,6-9]. Here we report the effects 

 of spring ethephon application. 



10 



Fruh Notes, Fall, 1993 



