Apr 16, 2004

Piccolo Now Available in CaliforniaSource: Various

California is the latest state to approve Piccolo, the new high-purity paclobutrazol growth regulator from Fine Agrochemicals. Fine Agrochemicals is a specialist producer of plant growth regulators for use in fruit and flower crops, and currently has products registered in more than 40 countries worldwide.

According to Fine, universities across the United States have been conducting trials using Piccolo. Brian Whipker and Ingram McCall, researchers and extension specialists at North Carolina State University, have been comparing Piccolo to other paclobutrazol product for the past two years.

“Growers in North America used to have very limited choices when it came to paclobutrazol-based growth regulators,” said Rob King, international sales and marketing manager for Fine. “Now, with Piccolo on the market, growers have a new product available that has proven itself in university trials across North America.”

Piccolo is now approved in most U.S. states and is available through a select group of distributors. According to Fine, Piccolo contains 0.4 percent paclobutrazol and works by reducing internode elongation through the inhibition of gibberellin biosynthesis, generating more compact and sturdier plants. It enhances the quality of bedding plants, flowering and foliage plants, bulb crops, perennials and woody ornamentals, making them easier to market and more profitable to produce.

According to Fine, Piccolo helps produce attractive plants that are easier to handle and transport. It allows the control of growth rates to meet increasingly stringent customer-led specifications. It improves the appeal of poinsettias by promoting darker green foliage and enhancing red coloration of the bracts.

For more information, visit www.fine-agrochemicals.com