Aqueous solutions of SA, applied as a spray to the shoots of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv. Cajeme), significantly increased the growth of shoots and roots as measured after seven days of treatment. Shoot spraying of SA had no significant effect on photosynthetic rate. Growth increases were obtained in plants cultivated either in the greenhouse or in the field; SA-induced increases in root growth of up to 100% were measured in the field.

This study was conducted to determine the effect of foliar salicylic acid (SA) applications on fruit quality, growth and yield of tomato under greenhouse conditions in 2006 and 2007. In the study, fruit diameter, fruit length, fruit weight, fruit number per plant, Vitamin C, pH, Total Soluble Solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), stem diameter, leaf dry matter ratio, chlorophyll content, early yield and total yield were determined. Tomato plants were treated with foliar SA applications at different concentrations (0.00, 0.25, 0.50 and 1.00 mM). SA was applied with spraying four times during the vegetation at 10-day intervals two weeks after planting. In the study, it was determined that foliar applications of SA showed positive effect on some fruit characteristics, plant growth, chlorophyll content in leaves, early yield and total yield. SA treatments had no effect on pH, AA and TA of tomato. Total soluble solids (TSS) increased with foliar SA applications. The greatest stem diameter, leaf dry matter and chlorophyll content were obtained from 0.50 mM SA treatment. SA treatments increased the early yield of tomato compared to the control. The yield of tomato was significantly influenced by foliar SA applications. The highest yield occurred in 0.50 mM SA treatment.According to our results, applications of 0.50 mM SA should be recommended in order to improve yield.

Extracting Gibberellic Acid
Although several types of gibberellin are found in plants as natural hormones, Gibberellic Acid (GA-3) is the best known. While it is a natural product of the Asian fungus that destroys rice, growth-promoting substances that are either identical with, or closely related to, gibberellic acid can also be found in common plants such as cucumber, rock melon (cantaloupe), corn, peas and beans, and it can be readily extracted in crude form by amateur botanist.

Edward Pinto, a student at St Peter's Preparatory School in Jersey City, developed a simple and inexpensive procedure for extracting gibberellic acid from common plants, which was reported in American Scientific ( August 1967). As sources of materials, he used the seeds of fresh cantaloupe (rockmelon), fresh wild cucumber, and the dry seeds of corn, peas and three species of bean - pencil rod, lupine and pinto. The cantaloupe and cucumber seeds were dried at room temperature and chopped into particles about 3mm in diameter. The procedure used 200 grams of finely chopped seeds which were soaked for seven days in a solution of acetone (10 parts by volume), isopropyl alcohol (5 parts), ethyl alcohol (2 parts), and distilled water (5 parts), to give a total volume of 110 millilitres. The solution was then poured off and the seed particles rinsed with 40 millilitres of a solution consisting of equal parts of acetone and isopropyl alcohol. The rinsing solution was then added to the first solution, and heated to a temperature of 45°C (113°F)

WARNING: it should be noted that the solution is highly flammable and must not be exposed to an open flame. The heating procedure was continued until the residue evaporated to the consistency of thin tar and was almost dry. The residue was then taken and mixed with 100 millilitres of distilled water and ethyl acetate.

According to Pinto, a key factor to extracting gibberellic acid is to raise the pH of the water to about pH8 (slightly alkaline) - at this pH the gibberellins are soluble in water. The pH was achieved by adding potassium hydroxide, or concentrated pH lower to the solution. The mixture was then shaken for two minutes, and the water drawn off and mixed with another 100 millilitres of ethyl acetate. This procedure was carried out a total of three times.

Now the water was made acidic (pH3) by the addition of hydrochloric acid - at this pH the gibberellins are soluble in ethyl acetate. The solution of acidic water was added to 100 millilitres of ethyl acetate. The water was drawn off and the procedure repeated twice more, after which the ethyl acetate solution was dried to a paste. The tarlike mass was then mixed with about 8 grams of lanolin. The lanolin paste is the final product, and it is applied to plants as a thin coat to the upper surface of each mature leaf, taking care not to damage the plant.

When gibberellic acid is sprayed on gardenia or geranium flowers, there is a 25% -50% increase in flower size.

Very nice! Once I get the time to read them all I'll try to comment more on it, but for this: