How Plants Regulate Ripening And Decay

Ethylene tells plants when to germinate, bear fruit, drop their leaves and petals, and wither and die. Plants synthesize and release ethylene in response to changes in light and air temperature, and during the course of normal growth and development--as well as in response to pathogens or wounds. Recent research helps explain how plants regulate those all-important responses to ethylene, a body of knowledge that could help the food and cut-flower industries better control ripening and decay.