THE 鈥渃uddle chemical鈥� oxytocin is being put to a different use by farmers in India: boosting the growth of pumpkins and cucumbers.
The Indian Ministry of Agriculture wants to ban the practice, which has become prevalent in the Uttar Pradesh and Punjab regions in northern India, stating that 鈥渋ndiscriminate use of oxytocin may cause health hazards if taken through vegetables over a period of time鈥�.
Oxytocin is known to affect social behaviour in humans, as well as facilitating birth and breastfeeding. However, the precise mechanism by which an animal hormone might stimulate plant development remains unclear. Plant experts at Rothamsted Research in Harpenden and Durham University, both in the UK, are sceptical of any claims that oxytocin improves plant growth and development, but speculate that it may be mimicking an unidentified plant peptide involved in growth. 鈥淚t is unlikely, but not impossible that there could be an effect in plants, but I seriously doubt that this would massively impact on crop yields in most situations,鈥� says of Rothamsted Research.
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鈥淭he mechanism by which an animal hormone might stimulate plant growth remains unclear鈥�
The Indian government has previously taken action against the use of oxytocin in lactating animals to increase their milk production.
