Effect of 1-Methylcyclopropene on Antioxidant Activity and Gene Expression of Acc-Synthase and Acc-Oxidase in Cotton Flowers

Cotton yields in the Mid-south are well below the theoretical potential (Baker and Hesketh, 1969). Low and variable cotton yields have been associated with environmental stress, of which temperature and drought appear to play the major role. When plants are stressed they produce ethylene, a plant growth regulator known to cause various plant physiological responses, including control fruit abscission. This study was designed to evaluate the possible use of the plant growth regulator 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) to alleviate the adverse effect of environmental stresses on cotton reproductive development.