[4] Chlormequat is an inhibitor of gibberellin biosynthesis, thereby causing reduced cell elongation and thicker sturdier stalks that facilitate harvesting of cereal crops.

[2] Exposure to high levels of chlormequat has been linked to developmental toxicity in animal models.

In April 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed allowing the use of the chemical on food crops such as barley, oat, triticale, and wheat.

The regulation lowered the MRL for chlormequat in citrus fruits from 2 mg/kg to 0.5 mg/kg, and also modified the MRLs for other products such as apples, pears, quinces, cherries, plums, apricots, and barley.

The regulation also set a specific MRL of 0.01 mg/kg for Spodoptera exigua multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV) isolate BV-0004, a biological plant protection product containing chlormequat as a co-formulant.