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Patently obvious, the plants need watering
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Spaced-out tomatoes To raise awareness of space science and plant biology, scientists organized the Tomatosphere project, during which, students from across Canada will learn how space-flown tomato seeds grow. Astronaut Marc Garneau went into space with 200 000 seeds. They ‘made 170 orbits of the Earth, travelled more than 7 million km and spent 12 days weightless,’ according to Bob Thirsk, a member of the project. Organizers distributed the seeds among 2500 classrooms where students plan to determine what difference space travel makes on tomato seeds. In a parallel experiment, the students will judge the effect of infrared light on seeds. The collective results will be sent to the Canadian Space Agency in June. [Wilkes, J. (2001) The Toronto Star 9 May] TS
Domesday, here at last! ‘Ecotourism’ usually conjures up such images as jungle treks to far away places. However, natives of the UK no longer need to travel abroad to ‘ecotour’: some of the most exotic habitats are now available on their doorstep. The showpiece of the Eden Project, situated in a disused clay pit in Cornwall (SW England), comprises two geodesic domes (‘biomes’) that are home to plants – and many animals – from warm and tropical regions. It is hoped that the collection will not only help to conserve and preserve endangered species, but also act as a valuable resource for research, education and the pure, unadulterated delight of looking at plants. [http://www.edenproject.com/] NC
Thorn in farmers’ sides Scientists introduced the European gall fly as the latest bio-control agent to battle California thistle (Cirsium californicum) on the south island of New Zealand. Two years ago, the AGMARDT Thistle Action Group formed to address the problem of the plant bio-invasion. The pestilent thistle costs an estimated $27 million in lost pastureland and control costs for New Zealand’s ranchers. Before gall fly, researchers at Landcare Research (Lincoln, New Zealand) failed to establish leaf-feeding beetle and flea beetle as potential bio-control candidates. If gall fly does not work, it might take two to five years of research to conduct field trials with another possible controlling agent. [Cutt, J. (2001) The Southland Times (New Zealand) 8 May, p. 14] TS
TRENDS in Plant Science Vol.6 No.7 July 2001
A love-apple a day keeps the doctor away?
295
considering, and might mean that algae hold-fast no longer. [http://www.ncl.ac.uk/press.office/press.rel ease/content.phtml?ref=979231314] NC
Patently obvious, the plants need watering
Courtesy of Scott Bauer, USDA.
The family Solanaceae contains many important food and drug plants, such as potatoes and henbane (Hyoscyamus niger), and it is becoming evident that some members, such as the tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), combine the virtues of both. For example, lycopene, the pigment that makes tomatoes red, appears to be effective in killing human oral cancer cells in vitro. A team led by Betty Schwartz at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel) is now examining its effectiveness in vivo. Another boost to the fruit’s healthgiving properties is provided by Shelagh Muir and colleagues [Nat. Biotechnol. (2001) 19, 470–474] who have genetically engineered Petunia chalcone isomerase into tomato, resulting in up to a 78-fold increase in flavonols. Flavonols are powerful anti-oxidants, high levels of which are correlated with a decreased risk of heart disease. [Watzman, H (2000) New Sci. 23/30 December, p. 4; Chapman, J. Daily Mail (2001) 1 May, p. 19] NC
Hull 1: Hangers-on 0 Epiphytic algae and other passengers on the bottoms of boats can severely increase the resistance to smooth passage through water, and such fouling has been a maritime problem for hundreds of years. Although anti-fouling paints have been used with some success, they are not a permanent solution and their toxicity can endanger other marine life. An environmentally responsible alternative using magnets has been proposed by Jill Shaw and colleagues (Glasgow Marine Technology Centre and University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne’s Dove Marine Laboratory, UK). Although it might not be 100% effective, the incorporation of magnets in steel structures is worth
Plants might not be able to talk, but they could soon be telling us when they need watering. Herbert Booth of Glasgow (UK) has recently patented a device (GB 2352817) that indicates when the plants need water and, almost as importantly, when they have had too much water. Instead of directly measuring the internal water status of the plant (which would probably harm the plant), the device measures the electrical resistance of the surrounding soil, which gives an indication of the plant’s water status. When there is enough water, the display on the measuring device shows a happy face; when there is too much or too little water, the face becomes sad. Unfortunately, if no human is around to read the meter and respond appropriately, it all becomes rather sad. [Fox, B. (2001) New Sci. 28 April, p. 25] NC
No trees? No problem (plant a pond) One of the great hopes concerning rising CO2 levels is that forests will continue to help to soak up some of the excess that is being added to the atmosphere. However, in spite of some concern over the arithmetic [MacKenzie, D. New Sci. (2001) 17 March, p. 15], it is generally acknowledged that forests are decreasing. In a bid to overcome some of the loss of the forest CO2- sink, Hans Ziock and colleagues of the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico (USA) have proposed the construction of an artificial ‘super forest’, an enormous lake of calcium hydroxide solution, which would absorb the CO2. Heating the resultant calcium carbonate regenerates the calcium hydroxide; the CO2 evolved can be combined with magnesium silicates and locked away as an inert solid. [Samuel, E. New Sci. (2001) 31 March, p. 14] NC
Nigel Chaffey [email protected] Trevor Stokes [email protected]
http://plants.trends.com 1360-1385/01/$ – see front matter © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Spaced-out tomatoes To raise awareness of space science and plant biology, scientists organized the Tomatosphere project, during which, students from across Canada will learn how space-flown tomato seeds grow. Astronaut Marc Garneau went into space with 200 000 seeds. They ‘made 170 orbits of the Earth, travelled more than 7 million km and spent 12 days weightless,’ according to Bob Thirsk, a member of the project. Organizers distributed the seeds among 2500 classrooms where students plan to determine what difference space travel makes on tomato seeds. In a parallel experiment, the students will judge the effect of infrared light on seeds. The collective results will be sent to the Canadian Space Agency in June. [Wilkes, J. (2001) The Toronto Star 9 May] TS
Domesday, here at last! ‘Ecotourism’ usually conjures up such images as jungle treks to far away places. However, natives of the UK no longer need to travel abroad to ‘ecotour’: some of the most exotic habitats are now available on their doorstep. The showpiece of the Eden Project, situated in a disused clay pit in Cornwall (SW England), comprises two geodesic domes (‘biomes’) that are home to plants – and many animals – from warm and tropical regions. It is hoped that the collection will not only help to conserve and preserve endangered species, but also act as a valuable resource for research, education and the pure, unadulterated delight of looking at plants. [http://www.edenproject.com/] NC
Thorn in farmers’ sides Scientists introduced the European gall fly as the latest bio-control agent to battle California thistle (Cirsium californicum) on the south island of New Zealand. Two years ago, the AGMARDT Thistle Action Group formed to address the problem of the plant bio-invasion. The pestilent thistle costs an estimated $27 million in lost pastureland and control costs for New Zealand’s ranchers. Before gall fly, researchers at Landcare Research (Lincoln, New Zealand) failed to establish leaf-feeding beetle and flea beetle as potential bio-control candidates. If gall fly does not work, it might take two to five years of research to conduct field trials with another possible controlling agent. [Cutt, J. (2001) The Southland Times (New Zealand) 8 May, p. 14] TS
TRENDS in Plant Science Vol.6 No.7 July 2001
A love-apple a day keeps the doctor away?
295
considering, and might mean that algae hold-fast no longer. [http://www.ncl.ac.uk/press.office/press.rel ease/content.phtml?ref=979231314] NC
Patently obvious, the plants need watering
Courtesy of Scott Bauer, USDA.
The family Solanaceae contains many important food and drug plants, such as potatoes and henbane (Hyoscyamus niger), and it is becoming evident that some members, such as the tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), combine the virtues of both. For example, lycopene, the pigment that makes tomatoes red, appears to be effective in killing human oral cancer cells in vitro. A team led by Betty Schwartz at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel) is now examining its effectiveness in vivo. Another boost to the fruit’s healthgiving properties is provided by Shelagh Muir and colleagues [Nat. Biotechnol. (2001) 19, 470–474] who have genetically engineered Petunia chalcone isomerase into tomato, resulting in up to a 78-fold increase in flavonols. Flavonols are powerful anti-oxidants, high levels of which are correlated with a decreased risk of heart disease. [Watzman, H (2000) New Sci. 23/30 December, p. 4; Chapman, J. Daily Mail (2001) 1 May, p. 19] NC
Hull 1: Hangers-on 0 Epiphytic algae and other passengers on the bottoms of boats can severely increase the resistance to smooth passage through water, and such fouling has been a maritime problem for hundreds of years. Although anti-fouling paints have been used with some success, they are not a permanent solution and their toxicity can endanger other marine life. An environmentally responsible alternative using magnets has been proposed by Jill Shaw and colleagues (Glasgow Marine Technology Centre and University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne’s Dove Marine Laboratory, UK). Although it might not be 100% effective, the incorporation of magnets in steel structures is worth
Plants might not be able to talk, but they could soon be telling us when they need watering. Herbert Booth of Glasgow (UK) has recently patented a device (GB 2352817) that indicates when the plants need water and, almost as importantly, when they have had too much water. Instead of directly measuring the internal water status of the plant (which would probably harm the plant), the device measures the electrical resistance of the surrounding soil, which gives an indication of the plant’s water status. When there is enough water, the display on the measuring device shows a happy face; when there is too much or too little water, the face becomes sad. Unfortunately, if no human is around to read the meter and respond appropriately, it all becomes rather sad. [Fox, B. (2001) New Sci. 28 April, p. 25] NC
No trees? No problem (plant a pond) One of the great hopes concerning rising CO2 levels is that forests will continue to help to soak up some of the excess that is being added to the atmosphere. However, in spite of some concern over the arithmetic [MacKenzie, D. New Sci. (2001) 17 March, p. 15], it is generally acknowledged that forests are decreasing. In a bid to overcome some of the loss of the forest CO2- sink, Hans Ziock and colleagues of the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico (USA) have proposed the construction of an artificial ‘super forest’, an enormous lake of calcium hydroxide solution, which would absorb the CO2. Heating the resultant calcium carbonate regenerates the calcium hydroxide; the CO2 evolved can be combined with magnesium silicates and locked away as an inert solid. [Samuel, E. New Sci. (2001) 31 March, p. 14] NC
Nigel Chaffey [email protected] Trevor Stokes [email protected]
http://plants.trends.com 1360-1385/01/$ – see front matter © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.