Gibberellin

Gibberellin, any of a group of chemical compounds that stimulate plant growth. Some gibberellins are plant hormones. Gibberellins cause dwarf varieties of peas, beans, corn, and coffee to grow as high as tall varieties, induce dormant seeds to germinate, and make sugarcane longer, thus increasing its yield of sugar. They may also be useful for stimulating growth of pastures and lawns during winter. The gibberellins were first noticed by a Japanese plant pathologist, E. Kurosawa, in 1926, during his investigations of a fungus disease of rice that caused elongation of the plant.