What is brassinolide?
Brassinolide is a novel compound known as brassinolide. Because it was discovered within plants and produced by the plants themselves, it is grouped with auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin, abscisic acid, and ethylene as the sixth major class of plant hormones.
It was discovered that this novel compound not only possesses the physiological functions of auxin and cytokinin, but also enhances photosynthesis, regulates nutrient distribution, promotes the translocation of carbohydrates from stems and leaves to fruits and grains, improves the crop's resistance to adverse external factors, and promotes the growth of weaker parts of the plant.
Functions of Brassinolide
1. Promotes seed germination and root growth. Besides foliar spraying, brassinolide can also be used for seed treatment to break seed dormancy and promote germination; spraying it during the seedling stage can promote seedling root growth.
2. Promotes cell division and vegetative growth.
3. When crops enter their growth period, spraying brassinolide can regulate vegetative growth, promote thicker stems and chlorophyll formation, enhance photosynthesis, resulting in thicker, darker green leaves and delaying leaf senescence.
4. Promotes flower bud differentiation and increases fruit set. Brassinolide promotes the formation of lateral branches and buds, promotes flower bud differentiation, increases pollination rate after flowering, and promotes fruit or grain formation.
5. Promotes fruit enlargement, increasing crop yield and quality. Brassinolide promotes cell division, thus enlarging the fruit; it promotes protein synthesis and dry matter accumulation, increases sugar content, and improves fruit quality; it also ensures uniform fruit growth, vibrant color, and improved marketability.
6. Enhances crop resistance to adverse conditions. Brassinolide not only promotes crop growth but also enhances the crop's resistance to natural disasters such as high temperature, low temperature, frost damage, salinity, and drought, and can also improve its resistance to disease.
7. Alleviates pesticide damage. When crops suffer pesticide damage due to improper use of herbicides, insecticides, etc., timely spraying of brassinolide and foliar fertilizer can alleviate the damage.
Application Method
Currently, brassinolide is available in formulations with concentrations of 0.01%, 0.0016%, and 0.0075%. Taking 0.01% as an example, the dilution ratio is generally around 2500 times, equivalent to about 6 ml of brassinolide per 15 kg of water. The specific dosage can be adjusted according to the specific crop and its different growth stages.
Application Period: Seedling stage, before flowering, after fruit set, during fruit enlargement or grain filling.
Precautions
Brassinolide itself does not provide nutrients to crops, so it is best used in combination with foliar fertilizer for better results.
