Gibberellic acid

Gibberellic acid (CAS 77-06-5), also known as GA3 or Gibberellin A3, is a plant growth regulator used commercially to control flowering, fruit development, and stem elongation in cultivated crops.

Where is Gibberellic acid used?

• Fruit production: applied to table grapes to increase berry size
• Fruit production: improves cluster looseness, affecting marketable yield and pack-out grades
• Citrus: delays rind senescence, extending the post-harvest window for export markets
• Citrus: increases fruit set and yields of tangelos and mandarins
• Seed and cereal processing: promotes uniform germination and accelerates malting in barley
• Specialty horticulture: breaks dormancy in ornamental bulbs
• It also regulates flowering timing for commercial cut flower schedules.
• In tart and sweet cherries, it has been successfully used to reduce flowering in the early years of an orchard.
• Used in plant cell culture at concentrations of 0.01 - 5.0 mg/L.

Good to know: Sold under trade names such as Berelex and Brellin. Purity specifications vary by intended use; higher-purity grades are available for research and regulated agricultural programs.

Formulation notes

• The appropriate concentration for treatment may differ between crop varieties, so a concentration suitable for one variety may not give the same result in another.
• Dry gibberellic acid is relatively stable, but alkaline conditions degrade it; prepared aqueous solutions should be used promptly.
• Incompatible with alkaline products and with solutions containing free chlorine.
• Decomposes under alkaline conditions and should not be mixed with alkaline foliar fertilizers or pesticides.

Typical specification

• Its ammonium, potassium and sodium salts are readily soluble in water, with the potassium salt at 50 g/l.
• Offered in technical concentrate grades of 95% TC and 90% TC.
• Offered in tablet grades of 20% TB and 10% TB.
• Before ordering, confirm GA3 content, appearance, loss on drying, pH, ignition residue, and any registration or impurity requirements.

Regulatory status

• Reserved for professional farmers and applicators (U100).
• A 5 m safety buffer zone must be left untreated for all crops up to surface water bodies.
• Approved as an active substance in France.
• Listed for biocontrol use.

Storage, packaging and handling

• Can be stored for 2 years under normal conditions in unopened containers.
• Solutions should be prepared fresh and used immediately; do not store overnight.

Frequently asked questions about Gibberellic acid

What formulations of gibberellic acid are available for spray application?

A 40% water soluble granule formulation allows easy dissolution and uniform spray coverage, and a 4% SL soluble liquid formulation is also offered.

What are the effects of gibberellic acid in sugarcane and artichoke?

In sugarcane, it increases internode length, giving higher cane yield, and it extends the harvest season by accelerating maturity of artichokes.

Technical content is compiled and updated by the SoleChem product team from public technical sources; the certificate of analysis (COA) governs product-specific specifications.