Cultivating crops can be quite a tough task without the right knowledge or assistance. Most farmers only know about the application and uses of synthetic fertilizers. While such products can help you grow your plants faster and bigger, there is a high price to pay.
Synthetic fertilizers do not look after the well-being of the crops and can quickly ruin their quality and even deteriorate the life span if used incorrectly. In such a scenario, if you want to keep your plant’s natural properties intact and help it grow better, using an agro chemicals plant growth regulator is your best bet.
What Are Plant Growth Regulators?
Plant growth is usually regulated by the hormones they produce naturally. They further control and modify the growth processes of the plant. This mainly consists of the formation of flowers and leaves, development as well as the ripening of the fruits, and also elongation of stems.
However, this process is rather unexpected and can sometimes be quite time-consuming. There is no surety of how well your plant will grow. This was when farmers understood the benefits of using plant hormones artificially to regulate growth.
When both organic and synthetic substances are used in the growth process, it is known as plant growth regulators.
When Did This Practice Start?
While plant growth regulators were quite popular in the late 1920s, their application in agriculture started sometime around the early 1930s in the United States. One of the first plat growth regulators to be discovered and used in agriculture was Ethylene.
This was mainly a naturally occurring substance and helped with the successful enhancement of pineapple flower production. In addition to that, the toxic levels for humans are quite low on this substance. However, as the years progressed, farmers started using synthetic alternatives.
These synthetic substances mainly mimic the effects of the compositions of the naturally occurring hormones in a plant. However, ever since its development, the prices for growth regulators went considerably down, and now it has become a significant part of the industry.
Food Safety and Growth Regulators
The main question that comes into play when you talk about the use of agro chemicals plant growth regulator is ‘how safe is it.’ While from the legal and regulatory control viewpoint, plant growth regulators are considered to be pesticides.
As per principle, all pesticides, including these, have to be registered under a competent authority before they can be used. During the registration process, further tests the safety and efficacy of the said pesticide. Proper use of plant growth regulators results in minimal residue, further lowering the risk of unsafe food. Several conditions are required for a farmer to maintain when using such classified pesticides.
In conclusion, these growth regulators are chemicals that further help enhance and control the plant growth processes and helps meet the food supply requirements better. You should not have to worry about finding pesticides in your food since everything is done under regulation and overseen by trusted authorities.