Ethylene, which formula is H2C=CH2, is an organic molecule with tremendous importance for plants. Ethylene serves as a phytohormone and takes part in some significant processes in plants. Ethylene is related to plant growth, germination, fruit ripening and maturity or leaf senescence.
Ethylene stimulates fruit ripening, makes hypocotyl thicker and shorter in seeds with pronounced apical hook, induces its germination, stimulates leaf senescence, induces leaf abscission, inhibits shoot growth, inhibits stem growth and stimulates stem and cell broadening and lateral branch growth outside of seedling stage, induces root hair and adventitious roots growth, regulates and modulates flowering.
List of plant responses to ethylene by target and plant species:
Flower:
- Apple – To thin crop
- Pineapple – To induce flowering
- Sugarcane – To reduce flowering and pithy tissue formation, and increase biomass and sugar yield
- Cucumber – To induce or enhance formation of female flowers, to increase yield potential
- Cucumber, Pumpkin (Hybrid seed production) – To decrease male and increase female flower formation
Flower:
- Apple – To thin crop
- Pineapple – To induce flowering
- Sugarcane – To reduce flowering and pithy tissue formation, and increase biomass and sugar yield
- Cucumber – To induce or enhance formation of female flowers, to increase yield potential
- Cucumber, Pumpkin (Hybrid seed production) – To decrease male and increase female flower formation
Fruit:
- Apple – To loosen fruit for harvest
- Blackberry – To hasten ripening and loosen berries
- Pineapple – To concentrate maturity
- Olive tree, Walnut, Almond – To promote abscission for easier mechanical harvest
- Peppers – To hasten colouring and maturity
- Cherries – To hasten maturity and promote abscission for easier mechanical harvest
- Tomato – To promote uniform ripening
- Grapes table – To achieve more rapid and uniform maturity
- Grapes raisin – To hasten maturity, decrease acids, increase sugars
Stem:
- Wheat, barley – To shorten internode length to prevent lodging
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