Ethylenediurea (EDU): A research tool for assessment and verification of the effects of ground level ozone on plants under natural conditions

Ethylenediurea (EDU) has been widely used to prevent ozone (O3) injury and crop losses in crop plants and growth reductions in forest trees. Successful use requires establishing a dose/response curve for EDU and the proposed plant in the absence of O3 and in the presence of O3 before initiating multiple applications to prevent O3 injury. EDU can be used to verify foliar O3 symptoms in the field, and to screen plants for sensitivity to O3 under ambient conditions. Despite considerable research, the mode of action of EDU remains elusive. Additional research on the mode of action of EDU in suppressing O3 injury in plants may also be helpful in understanding the mode of action of O3 in causing injury in plants.