Smoke Chemical That Causes Seed Germination Found

Jim Lykos annejim@acay.com.au
Fri, 09 Jul 2004 00:48:18 PDT
Lee,

I heard an interview with one of the  research scientist's involved on 
the radio, he stated that it will probably be available for 
Horticultural commercial purposes in 2 to 3 years but the  home 
gardener's safe version of this chemical will be released in around 5 years.

Cheers

Jim Lykos
Blue Mountains
Australia

> So when and where can we buy some of this chemical?
>
> --Lee Poulsen
> Pasadena area, California, USDA Zone 9-10
> -----------------------------------------------------------
>
> http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml? 
> type=scienceNews&storyID=5626740&section=news
>
> Smoke Chemical That Causes Seed Germination Found
>  Fri July 09, 2004 02:11 AM ET
>
>  SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian scientists have identified the 
> chemical  in smoke that makes plant seeds germinate after bushfires, a 
> discovery  that could reap huge benefits for the agricultural sector.
>
>  A team of Australian scientists has become the world's first 
> research  team to pinpoint the previously unknown chemical, called a 
> butenolide,  which induces germination in a range of plant species 
> including celery,  parsley and echinacea.
>
>  "This discovery represents one of the most significant advances in  
> seed science with benefits in the natural, agricultural, conservation  
> and restoration sciences," said Geoff Gallup, science minister in  
> Western Australia state, on Friday.
>
>  Scientists say the discovery could give farmers a multi-million 
> dollar  edge in weed control by allowing them to speed up the 
> germination of  dormant seeds.
>
>  "With further testing, this could help farmers who want to control  
> crop weeds, without having to wait so long for the seeds to germinate  
> again before being eradicated," said Kingsley Dixon, the scientist 
> who  directed the Western Australian study.
>
>  The findings could also lead to improved bush regeneration and  
> conservation policies, scientists said.
>
>  Researchers around the world first became interested in identifying  
> the chemical in smoke that caused seed germination when a team of 
> South  African botanists proved 15 years ago that it was bush smoke, 
> not heat  and ash, that caused plants to seed.
>
> © Reuters  2004. All rights reserved.
> -----------------------------------------------------------
>
> http://abc.net.au/rural/news/…
>
> Smoke compound discovery may revolutionise agriculture - 
>
>  Scientists in Western Australia have discovered a chemical compound 
> in  smoke that could revolutionise agriculture.
>
> Kingsley Dixon and a team from the Kings Park and Botanic Gardens in  
> Perth says the compound help seeds to germinate.
>
> And it'll be as important for home gardeners as it will for Landcare  
> groups and the farm sector.
>
> "We've looked at a couple of vegetable crop species, for example, and  
> got up to doubling of germination in some of these species: for  
> example, celery, parsley, lettuce; and we've even got Echinacea, the  
> one that's used to make cough medicines; we've increased its  
> germination by almost double just using this smoke chemical."
>
> "So with further research, which we're wanting to do, we think 
> there's  potentially some benefits across a number of key agricultural 
> sectors."
>
> This is a transcript from the ABC National Rural News that is 
> broadcast  daily to all states on ABC Regional Radio's Country Hour 
> and in the  city on ABC News Radio.
>
> ©2004 ABC
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