MAX FACTS
hydroponic news, tips and trivia
Rainfall Culprit in Leaf Disease
Transmission, Scientists Suspect
Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in
Cambridge and the University of Liege in Belgium have identified two
ways in which plant disease pathogens are spread from leaf to leaf by
raindrops—directly, where pathogens are splashed off infected leaf
surfaces onto healthy plants; and indirectly, where an accumulation of
water pushes drops carrying dissolved fungi, bacteria and viruses off the
leaves and then onto healthy plants or into the soil.
With the cost of plant diseases presently estimated at three billion dollars
a year in the United States alone, the researchers are optimistic their work
will provide some guidance for farmers by providing suggestions for
optimal spacing between plants.
(Source:: sciencedaily.com)
MAXFACTS
hydroponic news, tips and trivia
Blue Light Good for Lettuce
Japanese scientists have discovered that treating lettuce seedlings with blue
and red-blue light promotes the yield and antioxidant content of lettuce
plants after transplanting.
Researchers reported that at 45 days after sowing, higher leaf areas and shoot
fresh weight were obtained in lettuce plants treated with blue-containing
LED lights and that polyphenol contents and total antioxidant status were
also greater in lettuce seedlings treated with blue-containing LED lights when
compared to seedlings that had been treated with fluorescent lights.
(Source: sciencedaily.com)
$4 Billion Energy Efficiency Initiative Announced
President Obama has announced the launch of a $4 billion
private-public initiative to upgrade the energy efficiency
of the nation’s buildings.
A recent White House statement explained that the
entire initiative will cost United States taxpayers nothing,
since the planned energy upgrades to federal buildings
will use long-term energy savings to pay for up-front
renovation costs.
Former president Bill Clinton joined Obama in making
the announcement.
(Source: treehugger.com)
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Maximum Yield USA | February 2012