That's right CC, from what I know a similar compound used to be sold to farmers under the name ETHREL, which is now banned in the EU.
Ethrel® is a growth regulator used in major horticultural crops and cereals. It promotes ripening in tomatoes, reduces curing time and promotes colour development in flue-cured tobacco, accelerates fruit maturity in apples and blueberries and loosens mature fruit from the stem in cherries for easier harvesting. In cereals, Ethrel is used to reduce lodging.
Active Ingredients --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ethephon
Crops--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Apples
Barley
Blueberries
Cherries
Highbush Blueberries
Tobacco
Tomatoes
Wheat