"Boosting Crop Size and Resilience: Harnessing Ethylene Hormone for Plant Priming"
Applying ethylene, a growth hormone commonly used to ripen fruit, to seeds in a specific dosing protocol has been found to enhance the size, strength, and stress tolerance of crops. Researchers discovered that by treating seeds with ethylene in darkness and tapering off the hormone when seedlings were exposed to light, plants exhibited increased root growth, taller stature, and more abundant leaves. The treated plants also showed improved productivity from photosynthesis and demonstrated better survival rates under harsh conditions such as high temperatures and salinity. The findings suggest that controlled application of ethylene could be a viable method to manipulate crop growth and enhance stress tolerance in specific growing conditions. Further research will explore the impact of ethylene treatment on the yield of fruiting crops.