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§ion=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 > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php >