Ethephon

Ethephon
Names
	IUPAC name 2-Chloroethylphosphonic acid
	Other names Bromeflor; Arvest; Ethrel
Identifiers
CAS Number	16672-87-0 ;
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
ChEBI	CHEBI:52741 ;
ChemSpider	26031 ;
ECHA InfoCard	100.037.002
KEGG	C18399 ;
PubChem CID	27982;
UNII	XU5R5VQ87S ;
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID7024085 ;
	InChI InChI=1S/C2H6ClO3P/c3-1-2-7(4,5)6/h1-2H2,(H2,4,5,6) Key: UDPGUMQDCGORJQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N ; 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	144.49 g·mol−1
Density	1.409 g/cm3
Melting point	74 °C (165 °F; 347 K)
Solubility in water	123.9 g/100 mL (23 °C)
Hazards
	Occupational safety and health (OHS/OSH):
Main hazards	Corrosive
	Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). verify (what is ?) Infobox references

Ethephon is a plant growth regulator.^[1]

Mechanism of action

Upon metabolism by the plant, it is converted into ethylene, a potent regulator of plant growth and ripeness. It is also a butyrylcholinesterase inhibitor.^[2]

Uses in various crops

Ethephon 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.^[3]^[4]

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.^{[citation needed]}

The toxicity of ethephon is very low,^[5] and any ethephon used on the plant is converted very quickly to ethylene.^[6]

The use of this chemical is allowed in the European Union.

References

^ "R.E.D. Facts Ethephon" (PDF). Environmental Protection Agency.
^ Zhang, Nanjing; Casida, John E (2002). "Novel Irreversible Butyrylcholinesterase Inhibitors: 2-Chloro-1-(substituted-phenyl)ethylphosphonic Acids". Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry. 10 (5): 1281. doi:10.1016/s0968-0896(01)00391-1.
^ Christopher L. Main and Robert M. Hayes. "Cotton Harvest Aids" (PDF). University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture.
^ Bill L. Weir and J. M. Gaggero (1982). "Ethephon may hasten cotton boll opening, increase yield". California Agriculture.
^ Pesticide Information Profiles: Ethephon, Extension Toxicology Net. Sept 1995.
^ "1994 Joint meeting of the FAO panel of experts on pesticide residues in food and the environment." UN Food and Agriculture Organization. 1994.

[1] "R.E.D. Facts Ethephon" (PDF). Environmental Protection Agency.

[2] Zhang, Nanjing; Casida, John E (2002). "Novel Irreversible Butyrylcholinesterase Inhibitors: 2-Chloro-1-(substituted-phenyl)ethylphosphonic Acids". Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry. 10 (5): 1281. doi:10.1016/s0968-0896(01)00391-1.

[3] Christopher L. Main and Robert M. Hayes. "Cotton Harvest Aids" (PDF). University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture.

[4] Bill L. Weir and J. M. Gaggero (1982). "Ethephon may hasten cotton boll opening, increase yield". California Agriculture.

[5] Pesticide Information Profiles: Ethephon, Extension Toxicology Net. Sept 1995.

[6] "1994 Joint meeting of the FAO panel of experts on pesticide residues in food and the environment." UN Food and Agriculture Organization. 1994.

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