title: Progress in the study of biological effects of hydrogen on higher plants and its promising application in agriculture.
abstract: While the medical effects of hydrogen have been broadly analyzed, research into the effects of hydrogen on higher plants has often been of lesser concern. Recent studies on the botanical effects of hydrogen have shown that it is involved in signal transduction pathways of plant hormones and can improve the resistance of plants to stressors, such as drought, salinity, cold and heavy metals. In addition, hydrogen could delay postharvest ripening and senescence of fruits. Observational evidence has also shown that hydrogen can regulate the flowering time of plants. These results indicate that hydrogen may have great potential applications within agricultural production, indicating that there may be a new 'hydrogen agricultural era' to come.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Genetics and Breeding, Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jiqing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Navy Aeromedicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Zhouheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Department of Navy Aeromedicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xuejun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun