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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