Ethephon

Ethephon

Names
IUPAC name 2-Chloroethylphosphonic acid
Other names Bromeflor Arvest Ethrel
Identifiers
CAS Number	16672-87-0 Y
ChEBI	CHEBI:52741 Y
ChemSpider	26031 Y
Jmol interactive 3D	Image
KEGG	C18399 Y
PubChem	27982
UNII	XU5R5VQ87S Y
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
SMILES ClCCP(=O)(O)O
Properties
Chemical formula	C2H6ClO3P
Molar mass	144.5 g/mol
Density	1.409 g/cm3
Melting point	74 °C (165 °F; 347 K)
Solubility in water	123.9 g/100 ml at 23 C
Hazards
Main hazards	Corrosive
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Infobox references

Ethephon is the most widely used plant growth regulator.

History

It is manufactured 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 ripeness. It is 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.

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