What is the Difference Between Ethrel and Ethephon?

Ethrel and ethephon are both plant growth regulators, but they have different roles and compositions. The key difference between ethrel and ethephon is that ethrel is a versatile plant growth regulator, while ethephon is the active ingredient in ethrel.

Ethrel:

• Used in major horticultural crops and cereals.
• Promotes ripening in tomatoes, reduces curing time, and promotes color development in flue-cured tobacco.
• Accelerates fruit maturity in apples and blueberries, loosens mature fruit from the stem in cherries, and reduces lodging in cereals.
• Can be moderately toxic and has the potential to cause severe skin irritation.

Ethephon:

• The active ingredient in ethrel.
• A synthetic version of the ripening hormone ethylene.
• Upon metabolism by the plant, it is converted into ethylene, a potent regulator of plant growth and ripeness.
• Often used on wheat, coffee, tobacco, cotton, and rice to help the plant's fruit reach ripeness more quickly.
• Also used by pineapple growers to initiate reproductive development and degreen mature-green pineapple fruits to meet produce marketing requirements.

In summary, ethrel is a plant growth regulator with various applications in horticultural crops and cereals, while ethephon is the active ingredient in ethrel that enables its growth-regulating properties.

Comparative Table: Ethrel vs Ethephon

Here is a table comparing the differences between Ethrel and Ethephon:

Ethrel is a plant growth regulator that contains Ethephon as its major active ingredient. Both compounds are used to influence plant growth and maturity, but they have different applications and residue limits.