Fine Americas’ plant growth regulator Piccolo 10 XC receives Ca. registration

Fine Americas, Inc., a leading manufacturer and marketer of plant growth regulators for the greenhouse ornamental market, announced the California registration of Piccolo 10 XC plant growth regulator for use on a wide variety of ornamental plants. Featuring a 4.0% concentration of paclobutrazol, Piccolo 10 XC is 10 times stronger than standard 0.4% formulations of the popular plant growth regulator.

"We're excited that California ornamental growers now have access to Piccolo 10 XC, a significant improvement over previous paclobutrazol formulations," stated Fine Americas president Greg Johnson. "Since it comes in a true solution instead of a suspension, Piccolo 10 XC overcomes the potential settling problems associated with older paclobutrazol products. From a grower's perspective, that means there is no need to shake the container prior to use in order to ensure uniform distribution of the active ingredient. In addition, the super-concentrated formulation translates to fewer plastic containers, lower shipping and storage costs, and a smaller carbon footprint for our industry."

Kevin Forney, technical services manager for Fine Americas, noted that Piccolo 10 XC is a very user-friendly product. "One quart of new Piccolo 10 XC equals 2.5 gallons of our standard Piccolo formulation," he said, "making storage, handling and mixing more convenient than ever. And, like all of our products, new Piccolo 10 XC is manufactured under the strictest ISO 9001:2001 quality control standards."

Greenhouse ornamental trials by university researchers throughout the U.S. have shown similar efficacies with Piccolo 10 XC, Piccolo and Bonzi. As with older paclobutrazol formulations, new Piccolo 10 XC can be used as either a drench or spray to produce more compact and marketable plants.

Forney added that Piccolo 10 XC is labeled for use on most bedding plants/plugs, flowering and foliage crops, bulb crops, perennials and woody ornamentals. In addition, he urged growers to always read and follow label directions before using Piccolo 10 XC or any plant growth regulator.