Gaseous ethanol penetration of plant tissues positively effects the growthand commercial quality of miniature roses and dill

The effects of an ethanol based nutrient-supplemented solution on the growt h and flowering of potted miniature roses and biomass production of dill sp rayed either onto the leaves or applied in gaseous form are reported here. In addition, the uptake of C-14-radiolabelled ethanol by radish was studied . Our findings show that ethanol might partially be taken up through plant stomata, and the radiolabelled carbon was translocated to other parts of th e treated plant, especially newly emerging leaves. Translocation appeared t o be more rapid during light periods as compared to dark periods. Foliar ap plication of ethanol appeared to induce chlorosis in the dill plants in som e cases. In contrast, gaseous ethanol treatments showed no adverse effects, and instead increased the biomass of dill plants and miniature roses. Furt hermore, gaseous ethanol improved the commercial quality of miniature roses by increasing the number of flowers per plant and prolonging the flowering time of those flowers. These results further support the practice of spray ing ethanol during light periods through high pressure sprayers, which prod uce a mist of very tiny droplets with high surface area. This method mimics a vapor phase which infiltrates plant tissues without wetting leaf surface s. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.