A researcher with the Chinese Academy of
Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) said Wednesday that plant hormones, if
used properly, are not a risk to human health.
"Irregular use of plant growth substances may cause plants to grow
excessively fast or affect the taste, but will not cause harm to human
health," Ye Zhihua said in an interview with Xinhua.
His remarks come after media reports in China about "exploding
watermelons," caused by the excessive use of phytohormone, have aroused
public concern over the safety of hormones that stimulate plant growth.
Ye said plant hormones used to promote growth have the same or
similar effects as natural plant hormones, and fruit and vegetables
sold at the market carried limited residue of the hormones.
More than 100 types of plant hormones, such as ethephon and
gibberellin acid, are used in agriculture and forestry sectors around
the world, Ye said, adding 38 types of plant hormones have been
registered in China.
For example, seven plant hormones including thidiazuron and
nucleotide are approved for use on cucumbers in China. The purpose is
to stimulate the growth of female flowers and increase fruit yields, Ye
said.
Ye added that China places plant hormones in the category of
pesticides control, which means the hormones are subject to strict
management from production to utilization.
