Although we have in mind some hormones that have traditionally been used in agriculture, brassinosteroids are not yet on the mind and use of farmers.

Few are those who know them and know how to use them properly. For this reason, in Gardenprue we tell you how we can get the maximum potential from your crops with this type of hormones called brassinosteroids.

WHERE DO BRASSINOSTEROIDS COME FROM?

Although we are all familiar with the classic hormones, such as cytokinins, gibberellins, auxins, and ethylene, there are also a few more hormones that produce different stimuli in plants.

In the case of brassinosteroids, it is considered the 6th plant hormone and is linked to the productive increase of the plant due to greater cell division and elongation.

Although it may sound Chinese to us in some cases, brassinosteroids have been with us for quite some time, although they have not yet been promoted enough.

They were synthesized many years ago, back in 1968, where the brassinolide compound is the most important.

Even today this plant hormone is still being studied in many trials with very promising results and very positive effects on plants.

PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF BRASSINOSTEROIDS

The effects of brassinosteroids are related to a productive stimulus of the plant.

It is considered the hormone of the future due to the very positive results obtained once applied, at very low doses, on plants.

In general, they induce an effect of cell division, elongation and differentiation, which is why applications in the flowering and fruit setting phases are interesting.

However, other applications without fruit also show that brassinosteroids are capable of improving plant growth, increasing leaf volume and having an anti-stress effect against negative stimuli (drought, cold, wind, etc.).

Let’s see, in summary, some examples of the potential of brassinosteroids on our plants:

• Stem elongation
• Increase in the length and width of the leaves
• Adaptation to stress, greater tolerance to cold and salinity
• Increase in fruit size
• Delayed abscission of the leaves

COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS THAT CONTAIN THIS TYPE OF PHYTOHORMONES

Currently, although not many, we can find various products that contain brassinosteroids. They can go alone or with other products (such as triacontanol), and are generally used to stimulate a critical stage of the crop.

The most immediate effect is the increase in yield, weight and fruit size. Supported with these natural alcohols, such as triacontanol, it promotes greater hormonal stimulation and protein synthesis, which is why it is used as a catalyst or support for the treatment of these brassinosteroids.

However, the amounts used of these products are usually very low, although the effect on the crop is very large.

We are talking about very low quantities, such as 0.0022% of total content of brassinosteroids with total doses of between 1 and 2 L / ha.