"PGRs were first discovered in the late 1920s and were used in agriculture for over 40 years. They were finally banned for use on consumable food crops in the 1970s and in some nations, PGRs are classified as pesticides. "
from the website:
https://wayofleaf.com/blog/plant-growth-regulators-in-weed
PGR = Plant growth regulators.
PGRs are any substance or mixture of substances which boost or slow down the rate of growth/maturation of plants through physiological action, or otherwise change the natural behavior of plants and their produce.
PGRs, widely used in agricultural farming on crops including peppers and eggplants, are a group of chemicals designed to
increase the yield of crops, reduce fruit drop frequency, and manipulate the development of the crops and the quality of storage. PGRs are often known as Plant Growth Retardants and interfere with the hormonal pathways of plants.
They impact phytohormones which play a major role in a plant’s growth and development. These hormones are naturally regulated through environmental cues, receptors, and a plant’s genome. There are five major plant hormone classes:
- Gibberellin
- Auxin
- Cytokinin
- Ethylene
- Abscisic Acid (ABA)
The infamous Alar scare of 1989 is a clear sign that PGRs should not be used in marijuana. Also known as daminozide, Alar is a manmade chemical that was used for faster maturation of cherries and apples. The FDA approved its use in 1968 after two years of carcinogen testing on rats.
However, in the 1970s, Dr. Bela Toth discovered that Alar had caused tumors in the livers, lungs, kidneys, and blood vessels of mice when used at several times the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) for men.
his final summary: In reality, the threat posed by PGRs may be overblown, but it is nonetheless something we need to take seriously. Whenever possible, we recommend only using organically grown marijuana.
