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By: Ashok K. Rathoure and Anika Rathoure
Chaitanya Climate Research Inc.302, Akshar Park, Near Dhara Complex, Bhatar Road, Surat – 395017
Plant Growth Regulators (PGPRs) are indispensable tools in modern agriculture, offering precise control over various aspects of plant development and enhancing crop productivity. While their diverse applications are widely recognized, detailed technical insights into their industrial manufacturing processes, including synthesis routes, process flow, and mass balance, are often limited. This manuscript addresses this gap by presenting a comprehensive technical analysis of the industrial synthesis and production of ten prominent PGPR molecules: Anisiflupurin, Cyclanilide, Dimethipin, Ethephon, Flumetralin, Forchlorfenuron, Gibberellic Acid, Paclobutrazol, Prohexadione Calcium, and Trinexapac-Ethyl. For each compound, their agricultural utility, detailed reaction chemistries, and step-by-step synthetic pathways are elucidated. Crucially, the paper provides comprehensive mass balance calculations for a nominal 1-ton production, quantifying raw material inputs, main product yield, and the generation of by-products and waste streams. This granular data offers critical insights into process efficiency, solvent recovery, and waste management strategies. By systematically detailing these manufacturing aspects, this work serves as a valuable resource for process engineers, researchers, and industry stakeholders, facilitating process optimization, promoting resource efficiency, and informing the development of more sustainable production methodologies within the plant growth regulator chemical industry.
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