An innovative, safe and non-toxic plant growth regulator has been introduced by Russian researchers from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) and the Yaroslavl State Technical University (YSTU) that not only boosts seed germination significantly but also increases crop yields by up to 1.5 times.
As per the article, the plant maturation has been accelerated by 7 to 10 days when treated with a phytohormone-based solution based on sulfonylpropionic acid salts which has successfully passed toxicological evaluations, confirming it safe for both humans and the environment.
“There were 3 control groups of seeds: the first was simply placed in water, the second in “Epin” (the most common phytohormone on the market), the third was treated with a plant growth regulator developed by our team. In the third group, the first roots appeared within 24 hours, with “Epin” – only on the third day, in the group with water – only on the fifth day,” says one of the authors of the project, a student of the MIPT Technical Department, Mikhail Terno.
Per the scientists, there are “no structural analogues currently available on the market” since conventional growth stimulants “rely on organic bases and solvents such as dichloromethane and triethylamine.”
