Plant Growth Regulators Past, Present and Future

Plant growth regulators (PGPRs), refers to substances which in very small quantities could have huge impacts on plant growth and developments. These compounds might be natural or synthetic, and natural forms are called plant hormone. Some of these compounds have been known for decades and their structure, amount and plant responses also have been identified already, while many of them have been identified only in the recent years. Some PGPRs, due to direct impact on the growth, development and even the quality of crops, have many commercial applications and annually adding to number of consumers in some countries. However, many of them are still under the research process. The existing statistics indicates that global consumption of PGPRs during 2003 to 2013 increased from 16691 tons to 42700 tons, showing about 2.5 times more utilization. It is predicted that by 2020, annual consumption will be rising to 3.65 percent yearly. The market value of these compounds in 2013 was about 3.56 billion US dollars and is expected to be worth about 6 billion by 2020. In recent years, the consumption of these substances has increased in Iran, but till now precise recorded information not yet been available. In the following article, we have tried to address about production and consumption of these compounds and legal issues in Iran and the world.