STUDIES ON THE NATURALLY OCCURRING GIBBERELLINS IN AONLA (EMBLICA OFFICINALIS GAERTN.) FRUIT

SUMMARY The fruit of aonla (Emblica officinalis) remains at rest without growth for a period of 3 1/2 months after setting and resumes growth thereafter. Studies on endogenous gibberellin activity of the fruit and exogenous applications of gibberellin to the fruit at rest suggest that the inability of the fruit to resume growth immediately after setting is not due to gibberellin deficiency. The fruit, when making rapid growth following its rest, contained six gibberellin-like factors active in the lettuce hypocotyl test. Five behaved like gibberellins A1, A3, A4, A7 and A9 in paper, thin-layer and silicic acid: celite column chromatography.