Ethephon

Ethephon
IUPAC name 2-Chloroethylphosphonic acid
Other names Bromeflor Arvest Ethrel
Identifiers
CAS number	16672-87-0 Y
PubChem	27982
ChemSpider	26031 Y
UNII	XU5R5VQ87S Y
KEGG	C18399 Y
ChEBI	CHEBI:52741 Y
Jmol-3D images	Image 1
SMILES ClCCP(=O)(O)O
InChI InChI=1S/C2H6ClO3P/c3-1-2-7(4,5)6/h1-2H2,(H2,4,5,6) Y Key: UDPGUMQDCGORJQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Y InChI=1/C2H6ClO3P/c3-1-2-7(4,5)6/h1-2H2,(H2,4,5,6) Key: UDPGUMQDCGORJQ-UHFFFAOYAQ
Properties
Molecular formula	C2H6ClO3P
Molar mass	144.5 g/mol
Density	1.409 g/cm³
Melting point	74 °C, 347 K, 165 °F
Solubility in water	123.9 g/100 ml at 23 C
Hazards
Main hazards	Corrosive
Y (verify) (what is: Y/N?) Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox references

Ethephon is the most widely used plant growth regulator.

History

It is manufacturered by Rhône-Poulenc (Bayer Crop Science) and Jiangsu Anpon Electrochemicals Co. in China. Upon metabolism by the plant, it is converted into ethylene, a potent regulator of plant growth and maturity. It is often used on wheat, coffee, tobacco, cotton, and rice in order to help the plant's fruit reach maturity 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.

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.

Although many environmental groups worry about toxicity resulting from use of growth hormones and fertilizers, the toxicity of ethephon is actually very low,^[1] and any ethephon used on the plant is converted very quickly to ethylene.^[2]

References

1. ^ Pesticide Information Profiles: Ethephon, Extension Toxicology Net. Sept 1995.
2. ^ "1994 Joint meeting of the FAO panel of experts on pesticide residues in food and the environment." UN Food and Agriculture Organization. 1994.