Secret of seed growth all smoke and molecules
Lee Poulsen (Fri, 09 Jul 2004 00:40:25 PDT)

Looks like my question is answered in paragraphs 7 and 8.

--Lee Poulsen
Pasadena area, California, USDA Zone 9-10

-----------------------------------------------------
http://theaustralian.news.com.au/common/…
0,5744,10082576%255E30417,00.html

Secret of seed growth all smoke and molecules
By Belinda Hickman
09jul04

AUSTRALIAN scientists have beaten three overseas research groups to
identify one of biology's holy grails - the molecule in smoke that
makes plant seeds germinate after bushfires.

A team of researchers from Perth's Kings Park botanical gardens, the
University of Western Australia and Murdoch University will today
announce in the international journal Science they have identified a
chemical among the 4000 found in smoke that triggers seed growth.

The chemical, from a group of molecules known as butenolide, was not
previously known to biological science.

The discovery has the potential to provide multi-million dollar
benefits in agriculture. It could dramatically improve bushland
regeneration and landcare programs and offer a new method of weed
control.

The science director at Kings Park, Kingsley Dixon, and his
colleagues, associate professors Emilio Ghisalberti and Robert Trengove
and PhD student Gavin Flematti, have beaten well-funded competitors in
California, South Africa and Germany to identify the chemical.

"I believe it was having access to unique Australian plants that gave
our research a leading edge," Dr Dixon said yesterday. "It's another
celebration of our biodiversity."

The group has already patented the molecule. The researchers are
looking for a company to develop a commercial product, which Dr Dixon
predicted could be available to home gardeners within five years and to
industry and landcare groups even sooner.

The molecule - which they want to call gavinone after Mr Flematti - is
so powerful that a concentration equivalent to a third of a teaspoon in
a domestic swimming pool is enough to germinate seeds from a range of
vegetables, trees, grasses and native species such as kangaroo-paw and
flannel flower.

Researchers say the potential is enormous.

Dr Dixon said the group had been interested in cracking the conundrum
ever since South African botanists proved 15 years ago it was bushfire
smoke, not heat and ash, that germinated seeds.

His group confirmed in 1993 the theory applied to Australian species.

© The Australian