Uses of Daminozide

Daminozide is a systemic growth regulator approved in the United States for use on ornamental plants such as chrysanthemums, poinsettias, and bedding plants located in enclosed structures such as greenhouses. Daminozide reduces internode elongation; induces heat, drought, and frost resistance; and produces darker foliage and stronger stems as well as earlier and multiple flowers and fruits. A spray is often applied at the rate of 1500–10 000 ppm.

Uses

Daminozide was produced in the U.S. by the Uniroyal Chemical Company, Inc, (now integrated into the Chemtura Corporation), which registered daminozide for use on fruits intended for human consumption in 1963. In addition to apples and ornamental plants, they also registered for use on cherries, peaches, pears, Concord grapes, tomato transplants, and peanut vines. On fruit trees, daminozide affects flow-bud initiation, fruit-set maturity, fruit firmness and coloring, preharvest drop and market quality of fruit at harvest and during storage.In 1989, the EPA made it illegal to use daminozide on U.S. food crops, but still allow for non-food crops like ornamental plants.

Current views

Disagreement and controversy remain about the safety of Daminozide and appropriateness of the response to it. Daminozide remains classified as a probable human carcinogen by the EPA and is listed as a known carcinogen under California's Prop 65.

Consumers Union ran its own studies and estimated that the human lifetime cancer risk was 5 cases per million, as compared to the previously-reported figure of 50 per million. Generally, EPA considers lifetime cancer risks in excess of 1 per million to be cause for action.

Daminozide does not degrade following contact with water but degrades rapidly in soil resulting in volatile compounds (including formaldehyde) and bound residues; therefore mobility is not considered a concern. In greenhouse studies, Daminozide persistence ranged from 3 to 4 days in different soils. Since Daminozide is registered for greenhouse use only, agricultural runoff into groundwater is not expected to be a concern.