Alar

Alar is the trade name of a systemic plant growth regulator, daminozide, produced by Uniroyal Chemical Company beginning in 1963. It was banned in the United States in 1989 for use on food products. This entry discusses the properties of Alar and details the events leading up to the ban on Alar, including the current view on the “Alar scare.”

How Alar Affects Plants

Alar strengthens fibers in plants, especially the naturally weak joint between apple stems and branches, causing some apples that would otherwise have dropped from trees shortly after maturation to stay on trees for up to 2 weeks longer, allowing more time for picking the apples. This also caused the apples to be redder than they otherwise might be, making them more cosmetically ...

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