Ethephon

Ethephon is a plant growth regulator.[1]

Ethephon
Skeletal formula
Ball-and-stick model of the ethephon
Names
Preferred IUPAC name
(2-Chloroethyl)phosphonic acid
Other names
Bromeflor
Arvest
Ethrel
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChEBI
ChemSpider
ECHA InfoCard 100.037.002
KEGG
UNII
  • InChI=1S/C2H6ClO3P/c3-1-2-7(4,5)6/h1-2H2,(H2,4,5,6) checkY
    Key: UDPGUMQDCGORJQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N checkY
  • InChI=1/C2H6ClO3P/c3-1-2-7(4,5)6/h1-2H2,(H2,4,5,6)
    Key: UDPGUMQDCGORJQ-UHFFFAOYAQ
  • ClCCP(=O)(O)O
Properties
C2H6ClO3P
Molar mass 144.49 g·mol−1
Density 1.409 g/cm3
Melting point 74 °C (165 °F; 347 K)
123.9 g/100 mL (23 °C)
Hazards
Occupational safety and health (OHS/OSH):
Main hazards
 Corrosive
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
checkY verify (what is checkY☒N ?)
Infobox references

Mechanism of action

Upon metabolism by the plant, it is converted into ethylene, a potent regulator of plant growth and ripeness. It is also a butyrylcholinesterase inhibitor.[2]

Uses in various crops
Ethephon use in the US in 2011; it is almost solely used on cotton crops.

Ethephon often used on wheat, coffee, tobacco, cotton, and rice in order to help the plant's fruit reach ripeness more quickly.

Cotton is the most important single crop use for ethephon. It initiates fruiting over a period of several weeks, promotes early concentrated boll opening, and enhances defoliation to facilitate and improve efficiency of scheduled harvesting. Harvested cotton quality is improved.[3][4]

Ethephon also is widely used by pineapple growers to initiate reproductive development (force) of pineapple. Ethephon is also sprayed on mature-green pineapple fruits to degreen them to meet produce marketing requirements. There can be some detrimental effect on fruit quality.

The toxicity of ethephon is very low,[5] and any ethephon used on the plant is converted very quickly to ethylene.[6]

The use of this chemical is allowed in the European Union.

References
  1. "R.E.D. Facts Ethephon" (PDF). Environmental Protection Agency.
  2. Zhang, Nanjing; Casida, John E (2002). "Novel Irreversible Butyrylcholinesterase Inhibitors: 2-Chloro-1-(substituted-phenyl)ethylphosphonic Acids". Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry. 10 (5): 1281. doi:10.1016/s0968-0896(01)00391-1.
  3. Christopher L. Main and Robert M. Hayes. "Cotton Harvest Aids" (PDF). University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture.
  4. Bill L. Weir and J. M. Gaggero (1982). "Ethephon may hasten cotton boll opening, increase yield". California Agriculture.
  5. Pesticide Information Profiles: Ethephon, Extension Toxicology Net. Sept 1995.
  6. "1994 Joint meeting of the FAO panel of experts on pesticide residues in food and the environment." UN Food and Agriculture Organization. 1994.
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