A farmer is spraying a gaseous hormone that promotes fruit growth and ripening. It isAuxinEthyleneCytokininAbscisic acid

The correct answer is Ethylene. Ethylene is a gaseous plant hormone that plays a crucial role in the maturation of fruits and is responsible for promoting fruit growth and ripening. It affects various physiological responses in plants, including leaf abscission and senescence. Ethylene is often used in agriculture to synchronize ripening, thus helping in the effective management of harvest times and better market quality of the produce.

Auxins are primarily involved in cell elongation and growth, cytokinins promote cell division, and abscisic acid primarily helps in plant stress responses, making ethylene the most relevant choice in the context of fruit ripening.