MaX FaCTS
hydrOPONiC NEwS, TiPS aNd Trivia
Trapping Bugs with Beans
Inspired by a traditional Balkan bedbug remedy, researchers in Kentucky
have documented how microscopic hairs on kidney bean leaves effectively
stab and trap the biting insects. Traditionally, the kidney bean leaves were
strewn on the floor next to beds and seemed to ensnare the blood-seeking
parasites on their nightly forays. The bug-encrusted greenery was burned the
next morning to exterminate the insects. Scientists have now discovered the
creatures are trapped within seconds of stepping on a leaf, their legs impaled
by microscopic hooked hairs known botanically as trichomes. Using the bean
leaves as templates, the researchers have micro-fabricated materials closely
resembling the leaves geometrically. The synthetic surfaces snag the bedbugs
temporarily, but do not yet stop them as effectively as real leaves.
(Source: sciencedaily.com)
Hydroponic Barge
Now in its fifth growing season, the Yonkers Science Barge in New York is an entirely green-powered
craft that grows hundreds of thousands of pounds of food using hydroponics. The barge, formed through
the local non profit group Groundwork Hudson Valley, is entirely powered by solar panels and other green
energies and enlists dozens of volunteers to run its farming and other operations. It offers educational
programs for students and provides food for the community. In June 2013, the group is set to launch
Get Fresh Yonkers, a program to sell the vegetables at a farmers’ market in the city.
(Source: lohud.com)
Black Carbon Flows from Soil to Oceans
Each year, 40 to 250 million tons of black carbon is formed through the incomplete combustion of
organic matter, such as in forest fires, slash-and-burn and controlled burning of fields. The general
assumption is that this black carbon remains in soil for millions of years, aiding in the regrowth
of vegetation. However, new research indicates a remarkable proportion of the black carbon
dissolves into the water system quicker than once thought.
(Source: sciencedaily.com)
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Maximum Yield USA | June 2013