The release of cytokinin-like compounds from Gingko biloba leaf material during composting.

Leachate extracts from senescent Gingko biloba leaf compost, separated by paper chromatography, and analyzed for biological activity using the soybean callus bioassay indicated that cytokinin-like compounds which co-eluted with zeatin and/or dihydrozeatin are released from decomposing leaves. Both leachate and leaf compost extracts obtained in the 5th month of composting were fractionated using HPLC. A cytokinin-like compound, which co-eluted with iso-pentenyladenosine was detected.