method of controlling stress in plants by administering an osmolyte regulator

摘要

treatment for relieving or combating stress to reduce surface imperfections in a plant before harvesting is described. An amount of an osmolyte regulator is applied to the plant at a predetermined time before harvesting so as to prevent or reduce blemishes or damage of the skin of the plant. The treatment may be applied to a diverse range of plants such as pears, peaches, cherries, nuts, tropical fruits and similar fruit. A preferred osmolyte regulator is glycine betaine and the preferred dosage rate is up to 20,000 ppm in aqueous solution with or without other additives. The osmolyte regulator is applied to the plants at any time, preferably after flowering by spraying the leaves.