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AQA GCSE · Question 04.8 · Homeostasis and Response
A farmer sprayed an apple tree with gibberellin. Suggest two reasons why the farmer sprayed the apple tree with gibberellin.
A farmer sprayed an apple tree with gibberellin. Suggest two reasons why the farmer sprayed the apple tree with gibberellin.
How to approach this question
Recall the commercial applications of gibberellins. Think about their role in germination, flowering, and fruit size.
Full Answer
1. To promote flowering.
2. To increase the size of the fruit (apples).
Gibberellins are another group of plant hormones used in agriculture to control plant growth and development. For an apple farmer, they are useful for several reasons:
- **Increase Fruit Size:** Gibberellins can stimulate cell division and cell elongation in the fruit, leading to larger apples, which can be more commercially valuable. This is a common use for gibberellins in growing grapes.
- **Promote Flowering:** They can be used to induce flowering, sometimes causing plants to flower earlier or in different seasons than they would naturally.
- **End Dormancy:** Gibberellins are involved in breaking seed dormancy and promoting germination, though this is less relevant for an established apple tree.
Common mistakes
✗ Confusing the uses of gibberellins with auxins (e.g., saying "rooting powder" or "weedkiller").
✗ Giving vague answers like "to make it grow bigger" without specifying which part (fruit, flowers).
Practice the full AQA GCSE Biology Higher Tier Paper 2
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