November 5, 2009, 8:39 AM CT

Indoor plants to fight air pollution

Air quality in homes, offices, and other indoor spaces is becoming a major health concern, especially in developed countries where people often spend more than 90% of their time indoors. Surprisingly, indoor air has been reported to be as much as 12 times more polluted than outdoor air in some areas. Indoor air pollutants emanate from paints, varnishes, adhesives, furnishings, clothing, solvents, building materials, and even tap water. A long list of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs [including benzene, xylene, hexane, heptane, octane, decane, trichloroethylene (TCE), and methylene chloride], have been shown to cause illnesses in people who are exposed to the compounds in indoor spaces. Acute illnesses like asthma and nausea and chronic diseases including cancer, neurologic, reproductive, developmental, and respiratory disorders are all associated with exposure to VOCs. Harmful indoor pollutants represent a serious health problem that is responsible for more than 1.6 million deaths each year, as per a 2002 World Health Organization report.

Stanley J. Kays, Department of Horticulture, University of Georgia, was the lead researcher of a study published in HortScience that tested ornamental indoor plants for their ability to remove harmful VOCs from indoor air. As per Kays, some indoor plants have the ability to effectively remove harmful VOCs from the air, and not only have the ability to improve our physical health, but also have been shown to enhance our psychological health. Adding these plants to indoor spaces can reduce stress, increase task performance, and reduce symptoms of ill health......... Posted by: Erica      Read more         Source

November 5, 2009, 8:37 AM CT

Seeking flower variety

Florists and other retailers who sell flowers and plants can now add another tool to their marketing kit. A recent study of "consumption values" may help them understand what influences consumers' choices in regard to floral purchases, and how to better design marketing efforts and purchase stock that can increase customers and sales.

Li-Chun Huang from National Taiwan University and Tzu-Fang Yeh from Da-Yeh University headed a research project that reviewed the differences in floral consumption values across consumer groups (the full study appears in a recent issue of HortTechnology).

A consumer survey was conducted in cities and rural areas in Taiwan in 2006 where 677 participants were surveyed. As per responses to a survey question that asked whether they purchased flowers, participants were divided into two categories: ''users'' and ''nonusers'' of flowers.

The majority of survey participants indicated that the following values (in descending order) influenced their floral purchases: showing care to others, emotion conditioning, and "sensory hedonics", a phenomenon in which consumers perceive the value of flowers based on touching, smelling, or tasting them. Interestingly, those participants identified as "heavy users" of flowers revealed different priorities, rating "emotion conditioning" as more important than "showing care to others". The scientists note that this implies that "heavy users" make more frequent floral purchase flowers partly because they are more emotionally stimulated by flowers. Heavy users also rated "curiosity fulfillment" higher, leading to them to look for more novelty and variety when purchasing flowers......... Posted by: Erica      Read more         Source

November 4, 2009, 8:19 AM CT

Sustainably grown garlic

Consumer interest in new and diverse types of garlic is on the rise. Fueled by factors including the growth of the "local foods" movement, interest in world cuisines, and widespread reports touting its numerous health benefits, demand for high-quality, locally grown garlic is increasing throughout the U.S.

While most grocery stores in carry the familiar white, "softneck" garlic (which is most often imported), varieties of "hardneck" garlic in colorful hues of purple, magenta, pink, and white are becoming more available at local vegetable stands and through direct-marketing programs. The results of a recent study of 10 garlic cultivars can help farmers identify niche regional markets and offer new, in-demand garlic varieties to consumers.

Hundreds of garlic (Allium sativum L.) cultivars are available from seed companies, retailers, and germplasm collections. Increasingly, growers purchase bulbs from nonlocal sources and are often disappointed by unpredictable yields. Garlic bulbs resulting from seed stock purchased in other regions may not display the characteristicssuch as bulb size, shape, and colorfeatured in the catalogs.

Gayle M. Volk of the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation, U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service in Fort Collins, and David Stern of the Garlic Seed Foundation authored a study designed to determine which garlic traits are stable and which traits vary depending on where the garlic is grown. As per the study published in a recent issue of HortScience and funded primarily by the Northeast Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education program, previous research has shown that traits such as clove number, clove skin coloration, and topset number are representative of cultivar type across growth locations, whereas "phenotypic" traits such as bulb wrapper color, bulb size, and bulb elemental composition are specific to sites......... Posted by: Erica      Read more         Source

November 4, 2009, 8:16 AM CT

Pecan trees benefit from thinning

Pecan trees, like many fruit trees, have a tendency to bear fruit in cycles, producing a large crop in one or two years, followed by one or two years with little or no crop. This cycle, called "alternate bearing", is the most profit-limiting biological problem facing pecan producers; the inconsistent production pattern creates supply and marketing challenges that can have severe negative effects on the pecan industry.

Producers have experienced success using mechanical fruit thinning as a way to minimize the effects of alternate bearing on several pecan cultivars. While the protocol for mechanical crop thinning has been established for some pecan cultivars grown in Oklahoma and Kansas, little research has been conducted regarding the economic value and potential profitability of fruit thinning of cultivars found in the southeastern United States. To address this issue, researchers at the University of Georgia's Department of Horticulture studied the effects of mechanical fruit thinning on pecan yield, nut quality, and profitability using 'Sumner' and 'Cape Fear' pecan trees, two important cultivars prevalent in areas of the southeastern U.S. The research study was published in a recent issue of HortTechnology

Ten 20-year-old trees of both 'Sumner' and 'Cape Fear' were used for the study. Trees grown in Tifton loamy sand soil in a commercial pecan orchard in Irwin County, Georgia, were used for the study. The trees were spaced 40 x 40 feet and were drip-irrigated. Treatments were replicated five times in a randomized complete-block design. Five trees of each cultivar were mechanically thinned using a tree shaker with a hydraulic shaker heada process called trunk shakingto remove 30% to 40% of the fruit on each tree, and five trees were not thinned......... Posted by: Erica      Read more         Source

November 4, 2009, 8:15 AM CT

For African violets

African violets have a mixed reputation. Their delicate, colorful flowers and furry, soft leaves make them a favorite among home gardeners and growers. But the striking plants are often regarded as temperamental: a precise recipe of light, moisture, warm temperatures, high humidity, and fertilizer is mandatory to encourage african violets to grow and flower.

A recently published study by researchers Julia C. Brotton and Janet C. Cole from the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Oklahoma State University (in a recent issue of HortTechnology) could provide african violet enthusiasts with important care information about the finicky flower.

Because of their brightly colored flowers and hairy leaves, people are attracted to african violets and often want to touch the leaves and flowers. But how does all this attention affect the plants? The research team set out to determine the effect of "brushing" african violet leaves on plant growth and quality. Cole explained, "Because (african violet) growers work in conditions that can contribute to the development of dry, irritated skin, a number of growers use body lotions to help soothe and moisturize their dry skin. A number of consumers also use these products. Our study researched whether touching or "brushing" african violet leaves causes damage, especially when body lotion or other skin care products have been applied to hands before touching the plants"......... Posted by: Erica      Read more         Source

October 20, 2009, 10:19 PM CT

New method to help keep fruit and vegetables fresh

ATLANTA Did you know that millions of tons of fruits and vegetables in the United States end up in the trash can before being eaten, as per the U.S. Department of Agriculture?

A Georgia State University professor has developed an innovative new way to keep produce and flowers fresh for longer periods of time.

Microbiologist George Pierce's method uses a naturally occurring microorganism no larger than the width of a human hair to induce enzymes that extend the ripening time of fruits and vegetables, and keeps the blooms of flowers fresh. The process does not involve genetic engineering or pathogens, but involves microorganisms known to be linked to plants, and are considered to be helpful and beneficial to them.

"These beneficial soil microorganisms serve essentially the same function as eating yogurt as a probiotic to have beneficial organisms living in the gastrointestinal system," Pierce said.

The process works by manipulating the organism's diet so that it will over express certain enzymes and activities that work in the ripening process and keeping the flower blooms fresh. Pierce analogizes this to using diet and exercise to improve the performance of an athlete.

"We change the diet of the organism, and we can change its performance," Pierce said. "It's no different than taking a good athlete and putting them on a diet and exercise regime, and turning him or her into a world-class athlete"......... Posted by: Erica      Read more         Source

October 20, 2009, 8:48 AM CT

Carbon-offsetting and conservation

Logged rainforests can support as much plant, animal and insect life as virgin forest within 15 years if properly managed, research at the University of Leeds has found.

Because trees in tropical climates soak up large amounts of carbon dioxide, restoring logged forest through planting new trees could also be used in carbon trading, as per Dr David Edwards, from University's Faculty of Biological Sciences.

Dr Edwards is calling for the inclusion of biodiversity-friendly strategies in carbon trading schemes to ensure that carbon off-setting projects support, rather than undermine, rainforest conservation.

Currently, large plantations of one type of tree, such as Eucalpytus, are popular as carbon off-setting or sequestration projects in the tropics because they also provide commercial benefits, but they do not support tropical biodiversity.

But Dr Edwards has shown that managed restoration of logged forest which can also be used for carbon off-setting brings biodiversity virtually back to pre-logging levels within 15 years, much quicker than forest left to regenerate naturally.

"Our research shows that it is possible to have both carbon sequestration and biodiversity benefits within the same scheme," he said.

"This could act as a strong incentive to protect logged forests under threat of deforestation for oil palm and other such crops. Selectively logged rainforests are often vulnerable because they're seen as degraded, but we've shown they can support similar levels of biodiversity to unlogged forests"......... Posted by: Erica      Read more         Source

October 13, 2009, 8:18 AM CT

Rainforest Plants Then and Now

Smithsonian scientists working in Colombia's Cerrejn coal mine have unearthed the first megafossil evidence of a neotropical rainforest. Titanoboa, the world's biggest snake, lived in this forest 58 million years ago at temperatures 3-5 C warmer than in rainforests today, indicating that rainforests flourished during warm periods.

"Modern neotropical rainforests, with their palms and spectacular flowering-plant diversity, seem to have come into existence in the Paleocene epoch, shortly after the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago," said Carlos Jaramillo, staff scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. "Pollen evidence tells us that forests before the mass extinction were quite different from our fossil rainforest at Cerrejn. We find new plant families, large, smooth-margined leaves and a three-tiered structure of forest floor, understory shrubs and high canopy."

Historically, good rock exposures and concentrated efforts by paleontologists to understand the evolution of neotropical rainforestsone of the most awe-inspiring assemblages of plant and animal life on the planethave been lacking. "The Cerrejn mining operation is the first clear window we have to see back in time to the Paleocene, when the neotropical rainforest was first developing," said Scott Wing, a paleontologist from the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History......... Posted by: Erica      Read more         Source

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:06:31 GMT

Grow your own apples

Choose a location that offers 8 hours of sun per day (trees in shady areas won"t produce ample fruit).

For pollination to occur, you need to plant at least two trees within 3 o 4 m of one another.

Well-drained soil is very important since too much moisture will harm the roots of both new and established trees.

Likewise, the soil needs to be rich; abundant nutrients are essential for a bountiful crop, so when planting, work compost, bonemeal or bloodmeal into the planting holes dug for each sapling.

To maintain richness in the soil, add compost each fall or spring around the base of the trees as far out as the drip line; top up with mulch except near the trunk where excessive moisture can cause rot.

Each fall clear fallen fruits from around the base of the trees to minimize the occurrence of apple maggots and other pests that can ruin the next crop of fruit

This wraps up apple week! Check out 10 tasty ways to eat apples for more suggestions on how to make the most of the season.

Posted by: danamccauley      Read more     Source

September 20, 2009, 7:12 PM CT

Bananas Gone Bad Glow Blue in UV-Light

Nicholas Turro of Columbia University, Bernhard Krautler of the University of Innsbruck, Austria and their colleagues have observed that, as chlorophyll ages and begins to disintegrate in banana peels it does not change color in the spectrum of visible light we see. Instead, it glows blue when observed under ultraviolet light.

While the light show adds a level of exoticism to the fruit in our eyes, and serves to attract a host of potential consumers in the eyes of insects and other animals who can appreciate the UV, the display is equally exciting to chemists. Because the glowing molecules occur in close proximity to dying tissue, they promise to be a literal beacon for the further study of the way organisms cleanse themselves of dying cells, or programmed cell death. A well known and poorly understood condition in which programmed cell death malfunctions is cancer.

Turro and colleagues describe how ordinary brown spots that form on bananas as they transition from ripe to rotten, each show a glowing blue halo in UV, caused by the congregation of chlorophyll breakdown byproducts. Their research appears in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science.

Chlorophyll is the molecule that makes much of the life on earth possible. It is the integral ingredient that allows plants to take in a mixture of carbon dioxide, water and sunlight and convert it to oxygen, sugars and starches. These are the same sugars and starches we eat every time we fix a salad, and the same oxygen that we breathe......... Posted by: Erica      Read more         Source