Growth-regulating phytohormone (plant hormone) discovered in Japan in 1926. At that time, a rice disease was being studied that was known in Japan as "crazy rice seedlings". Among other things, the plants grew extremely fast. A substance secreted by a fungus (Gibberella fujikuroi) parasitising on the plants was identified as the cause or messenger triggering this process. In 1956, it was then possible to isolate a gibberellin from plants, and today more than 110 different species are known. Such hormones are also naturally present in the roots, leaves and berry seeds of grapevines. They are used to control distance growth, seed formation and germination. Gibberellins have been used in the production of table grapes since the 1970s. These are sprayed with gibberellin at flowering and shortly afterwards to produce fewer but larger berries.
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Thomas Götz
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