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Smoke Chemical That Causes Seed Germination Found |
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| AUSTRALIA: July 13, 2004 | ||
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SYDNEY - 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.
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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.
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REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
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