EL-500: an effective growth retardant for dwarfing southern pine seedlings

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Abstract
Seed-orchard operations would benefit if trees could be kept short without sacrificing seed yield on a given area. To test the feasibility of chemical dwarfing, five growth-retarding chemicals were applied to foliage or bark of 2-year-old loblolly (Pinustaeda L.) and slash (P. elliottii Engelm. var. elliottii) pines in February. The most effective chemical for reducing height growth without toxicity was EL-500 (α-(l-methylethyl)-α-(4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl)-5-pyrimidinemethanol), a compound related to ancymidol (α-cyclopropyl-α-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5-pyrimidinemethanol). It reduced 1-year growth to about half that of the controls in both species when applied as an aqueous foliar spray or an oil-based bark band. Although the dwarfed growth appeared otherwise normal, the possible effects of EL-500 on future flowering and seed yield have yet to be determined.

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