BELGIUM: Sick Plants…
Everyone knows that plants can be infected with viruses, but no one realised, until now, that they develop a fever at the onset of infection. Researchers at the University of Ghent, Belgium, have proven that tobacco plants with mosaic virus develop higher temperatures on the parts of their leaves that are under attack eight hours before the first visible symptoms appear. The discovery will help researchers to diagnose viral problems sooner, and may assist in the all-important work of finding virus-resistant varieites.
ISRAEL: Healthy Plants…
The process of phytoremediation – a process by which plants absorb toxins and lock them up in their cells, thus reducing pollution – has recently been given a more attractive image. Formerly, plants used for such purposes looked uninteresting, or plain ugly, drab relatives of the cabbage, or that most uninspiring of houseplants, Chlorophytum. But it has now been discovered that water lilies are masters of phytoremediation. In Israel, they have been shown to absorb metal pollution to a maximum of 16% of their dry weight, trapping it in plant proteins called phytochelatins. The researchers who have identified the phytochelatin-producing gene propose to modify the genes of other plants with it, thus widening the scope for cleaning up contaminated sites. Could this be a politically attractive application of GM technology?
ENGLAND: Amazing Plants – 26 years!!
After a number of forestry trials, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is offering a range of different species of Christmas trees this year both at Kew Gardens and Wakehurst Place, the estate managed by Kew in west Sussex.
“Needlefast” Nordman fir (Abies nordmanniana) In recent years, this species has become increasingly popular due to its long needle retention after cutting. On mature trees needles can remain alive for 26 years. It is native to north-eastern Turkey and the adjacent Caucasus Mountains of Georgia, hence its other common name of Caucasian fir.