2004-7-19
This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Agriculture
Report.
A discovery about a chemical in smoke could be a big help to
farmers. Smoke causes lots of seeds to begin to grow. But smoke
contains lots of different substances. No one knew which one caused
the process of germination to begin.
Now researchers from the University of Western Australia say they
know. They published their findings this month in the magazine
Science. The compound is called butenolide.
To find it, the Australian team burned plants as well as paper.
Both contain cellulose, the basic material of all plant life. The
team separated butenolide from the other substances in the smoke
from the burnt cellulose. Their work took eleven years.
They performed experiments on seeds that normally germinate after
fires. They also included seeds from plants that do not normally
need fire to germinate. They found that both kinds of seeds
germinated at a high rate when treated with butenolide. They found
that even an extremely small amount of this carbon-based chemical
can be effective.
The discovery of butenolide could mean a lot not just to farmers
but also to scientists who want to help rare plants grow. It could
be used on wild lands and to help forests grow back more quickly
after fires.
Farmers could treat seeds with butenolide to increase the
productivity of their crops. Kingsley Dixon, a member of the
Australian team, notes that it could also be used to control
unwanted plants. A farmer could treat fields with the chemical. This
would cause weeds to germinate and grow. Then the farmer would use
other treatments to kill the weeds before any crops are planted.
Most kinds of seeds require a period of inactivity before they
can germinate and send out roots. Inactivity is a natural defense,
so the plants do not attempt to grow when conditions are poor. Some
seeds need cold weather before they can germinate. Others cannot
sprout until their outer skin is broken, which heat from a fire can
do.
Smoke from forest fires is known to cause seeds to germinate
immediately. Now, scientists know what it is in smoke that causes
seeds to start to grow. What they do not know yet is why butenolide
does what it does.
If you have a question about agriculture, we might be able to
answer it on the air. Send an e-mail to special@voanews.com. And put
the word agriculture in the subject line.
This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Mario
Ritter. This is Steve Ember.