Uniconazole is a triazole chemical used as a plant growth retardant. It is active on a wide range of plants and acts by inhibiting the production of gibberellins.[1]
Uniconazole is applied to plants to restrain their growth. It is often used on perennials to maintain a marketable size and/or delay flowering. Leaves usually appear darker after application because uniconazole increases chlorophyll content.
The following products labeled for application to ornamental plants as plant growth retardants in the United States contain uniconazole:
Sunny is an Australian product containing uniconazole that is labeled for application to avocado trees to improve fruit size and quality.[4]
Uniconazole products can be sprayed onto plant foliage or applied to the soil.[5] After it is taken up by plant roots, uniconazole is translocated in the xylem. The restricted-entry interval for Concise or Sumagic is 12 hours.
Over-application of any growth retardant can be devastating to a crop. One way to reverse excessive stunting is to apply gibberellins A4 + A7 and benzyl adenine. In the United States a product called Fresco is labeled for this use.[6]