Gibberellins Are a Type of Plant Hormone That Helps In Several Developmental Processes in Plants, Which Includes Fruit and Leaf Senescence, Flower Development, and Dormancy

 

Gibberellins are used all across the world, especially in regions such as the US, UK, and Italy. Gibberellins are a class of chemical substances whose purpose is to provide a beneficial effect on plants. Gibberellins have been isolated from several aromatic flowers from several continents. Gibberellins have been one of the most important classes of plant chemicals for more than two centuries. However, recent studies have revealed that these chemicals have diverse applications in agriculture and crop production.

There are two categories of gibberellins: alkaloids and terpenoids. Alkaloids are known to act on the development of plants by controlling cell elongation. Some of these alkaloids act on the apoenzyme, an important step in plant growth. The two categories of substances are widely used in crop fields for their floral and other plant growth control purposes. This includes protection against heat, sun, cold, drought, and wind pressure.

Alkaloids in plants can act on the shoots and growth of the plants by preventing the elongation of the plant cells during shoot growth. Some of them prevent the germination of seed, preventing the growth of new shoots. These include gibberellins A, C, and E. Gibberellins F and K are also present in some plants. Gibberellins G and L are a relatively recent discovery. They are known to promote flowering and to prevent or reduce the action of pollination on the plants.

The flowering tops of plants are covered with gibberellins and it serves as a defense against predators. It is very effective in preventing or eliminating insects that feed on the plants. Plants in agricultural fields depend on these plant growth regulators. In regions such as the United States, the prevalence of agriculture has increased the usage of gibberellins. For instance, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, in 2020 there were around 896 million acres of agricultural land in the area.

However, some of these gibberellins have toxic properties that may affect human health. Some researchers are looking for ways to develop crops that are free from these toxins. Some of them have succeeded in this. The corn germworm has been studied extensively using these plant-growth regulators. They found that plant growth regulators reduce germination but not total fertilization. They also found that the gibberellins exert strong resistance towards fungi that attack them.