Chemical Class and Cytokinin Mode of Action
6-Benzylaminopurine belongs to the adenine-type cytokinin class. Cytokinins operate in physiological balance with auxins to regulate plant organogenesis and cellular differentiation.
While auxins stimulate cell elongation and root initiation, cytokinins specifically stimulate rapid mitotic cell division in shoot apical meristems. 6-BA also breaks apical dominance, allowing lateral dormant buds to break and develop into productive fruiting branches.
- Cell Division Power: Stimulates active mitosis in embryonic and meristematic tissues.
- Breaking Apical Dominance: Awakens lateral dormant eyes to promote bushy canopy branching.
- Delaying Foliar Senescence: Retains chlorophyll levels and mobilizes nutrients toward treated vegetative shoots.
Commercial Agricultural and Horticultural Applications
In fruit orchards (such as apples, pears, and grapes), 6-BA is applied during early post-bloom cell division phases to increase cell count within developing fruitlets, producing larger, firmer fruit at harvest.
In ornamental floriculture and vegetable nursery production, it is applied to induce lateral basal branching in roses, carnations, and potted flowering plants, transforming spindly single stems into dense, multi-budded canopies.
- Fruit Cell Division: Increases cell number in young fruitlets for enhanced final market sizing.
- Tissue Culture Micropropagation: Standard cytokinin component in nutrient agar mediums for shoot multiplication.
- Vegetative Branching: Induces lateral shoots in greenhouse flowers and pruned fruit bushes.
Application Guidelines and Solution Preparation
6-BA technical powder has low solubility in pure water and must first be dissolved in a small volume of dilute sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or ethanol before dilution with water to desired working concentrations (typically 10 to 50 PPM depending on the crop).
Foliar applications should be executed during cool morning or evening hours with fine hydraulic nozzles. Ensure accurate calibration to avoid erratic vegetative growth or leaf chlorosis.
- Solubility Note: Dissolve powder in mild alkaline solution or alcohol before mixing with water.
- Targeted Foliar Spray: Focus spray mist directly on developing fruit clusters or shoot buds.
- Synergistic Use: Often paired with gibberellic acid (GA4+7) for thinning and fruit elongation in apple orchards.
Official source
Check the latest rules, benefits and forms here. KisanPe is an independent platform and is not a government website.
Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee (CIBRC) ↗Related on KisanPe
Common questions
What is 6-BA in agriculture?
6-BA (6-Benzylaminopurine) is a synthetic cytokinin plant growth regulator that stimulates cell division and lateral shoot branching.
How does 6-BA improve fruit size?
Applied shortly after bloom, it accelerates cellular division in young fruitlets, increasing the total number of cells and final fruit size.
How is 6-BA powder dissolved in water?
6-BA powder is sparingly soluble in plain water; it must first be dissolved in a small amount of dilute alkali (NaOH) or alcohol before adding water.
General guidance, not personal advice. For your farm, ask your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra or agriculture officer.
More General Agriculture guides
Ask Sakhi AI in your language, check live mandi prices or plan a loan with KisanPe tools.