Abstract
Jasmonic acid and the related compounds (JAS) are now considered to be the leading candidates for a new phytohormone due to their diverse physiological activities and ubiquitous distribution throughout the plant kingdom. In 1984,we focused our attention on the potential of JAS as agrochemicals and started the investigation aimed for searching a high-performance JAS analog and exploring its potential uses in fields. Since 1996,the well-screened analog, PDJ (n-propyl dihydrojasmonate, ISO name : prohydrojasmon), had been jointly developed by Riken, Zeon Corporation and Japan Science & Technology Corporation, and last April, "Jasumomeito Ekizai (commercial name)" containing PDJ as the active ingredient was registered as a plant growth regulator (PGR) in Japan. This is the first registration of JAS analogs in the world. Last July, this agrochemical was launched by Meiji Seika Kaisha, Ltd. as an accelerator for color development of apple fruits (Malus domestica cv. Tsugaru). This paper presents the outline of our history of the development, and the performance and safety of PDJ. Some PGR performances of PDJ expected in agriculture in the future are also presented.
