Question

What is gibberellins' effect on plant growth?

Answer 1

Plant hormones:

1. There are some intrinsic factors that regulate the growth and development of plants, these are called plant hormones or “phytohormones”.
2. Plant hormones are chemical compounds present in very low concentrations in plants.
3. They are derivatives of indole (auxins), terpenes (gibberellins), adenine (cytokinins), carotenoids (abscisic acid), and gases (ethylene).
4. Plant hormones control all the growth and development activities like cell division, enlargement, flowering, seed formation, dormancy, and abscission.

The function of Gibberellins:

1. It promotes bolting, i.e. sudden elongation of internodes just before flowering in rosette plants like cabbage and beet.
2. Gibberellins delays senescence.
3. It induces parthenocarpy.
4. It also induces maleness in certain plants like cannabis.
5. Gibberellin induces the formation of hydrolytic enzymes such as lipase, and amylase in the endosperm of germinating cereal grains and barley seeds.