Acceleration of Plant Growth Through Seed Treatment with Brassins

Treating barley seeds with brassins in methylene chloride before planting, accelerated plant growth in the greenhouse and growth chamber. A biologically active consituent of brassins is the steroid, brassinolide [2α, 3α, 22(R), 23(R)-tetrahydroxy-24(S)-methyl-β-homo-7-oxa-5α-cholestan-6-one]. Plants from the treated seeds attained full leaf development sooner than did plants from untreated seeds. Both leaf and tiller growth was accelerated, provided that an adequate amount of radiant energy was maintained. Brassin treatment reduced the phenotypic variability of the seedlings.