Abstract:

Plant growth regulators are a class of chemical substances widely used in modern agricultural industry, which can
regulate the growth of vegetables and fruits for increasing yield. In recent years, food safety risks caused by excessive and over-range
abuse of plant growth regulators occurred sometimes, which brings about many concerns about the problem of safety and residues.
A great deal of research has been conducted to detect plant growth regulator residues in fruits and vegetables and a variety of
analytical methods have been developed in this field. This article reviews the main analytical techniques used in China and other
countries for detecting plant growth regulator residues in fruits and vegetables with respect to their advantages, disadvantages and
applications. Some pretreatment procedures and instrumental methods are also described. A brief comparison of the regulations on
the maximum residue limits for plant growth regulators at home and abroad is conducted with the aim of guiding the formulation
of relevant regulations and detection standards for plant growth regulators in the future.

Key words: plant growth regulators, detection method, regulation on maximum residue level