What is a plant growth regulator?

Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are chemicals used to modify plant growth such as increasing branching,
suppressing shoot growth, increasing return bloom, removing excess fruit, or altering fruit maturity.
Plant Growth Regulators are defined as small, simple chemicals produced naturally by plants to regulate
their growth and development.

Auxins: These are growth promoting substances that contribute to the elongation of shoots, but at high
concentrations they can inhibit growth of lateral buds

Gibberellins: Gibberellins (GA) promote cell elongation, shoot growth, and are involved in regulating
dormancy

Cytokinins: Cytokinins promote cell division. Cytokinins are involved in branching and stimulating bud
initiation

Absicisic Acid: Absicsic acid controls the dormancy of buds and seeds, inhibits shoot growth and is
involved in regulating water loss from plants.

Ethylene: Ethylene promotes abscission of leaves and fruits, inhibits shoot elongation and inhibits lateral
bud development.

Roles of Growth Regulators

1. Improving fruit shape and Improving Fruit Size. Promalin and Perlan (a combination of 6-
Benzyladenine and Gibberellins A4A7) are plant growth regulators used to improve the shape of apples
through elongation

2. Promoting return bloom on trees for the following season. NAA (napthaleneacetic acid) is an auxin
plant growth regulator that will effectively promote return bloom when used at the thinning stage in
trees that are biennial bearing.

3. Promoting fruit colouring. Ethrel (ethephon) can be used to stimulate ripening and improve fruit
colour on apples that will be marketed immediately.

4. Vegetative growth control. Apogee or Kudos 27.5 WDG (Prohexidione-calcium) can be used to reduce
terminal growth in sweet cherries.

5. Ethephon (Ethrel) can be used in tart cherry orchards to promote fruit loosening, uniform maturity
and to facilitate mechanical harvest.