Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Green tomatoes ripen in days if they are left alone. A spray of ethephon makes them ripen sooner.
Ethylene is a gas that ripens fruit, causes the respiratory climacteric, and promotes senescence and abscission. Ethephon releases it. Abscisic acid is the stress hormone: it closes stomata, keeps seeds dormant and opposes gibberellins.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. (a) days.
Step 2. (b) days.
Step 3. (c) The plant takes in ethephon. It breaks down slowly and releases ethylene, which hastens the ripening.
Answer: days; days; by releasing ethylene.
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