MAX FACTS
growing tips, news and trivia
Eat Watermelon to Lower Blood Pressure
A new study by Florida State University Associate Professor Arturo Figueroa,
published in the American Journal of Hypertension, found that watermelon could
significantly reduce blood pressure in overweight individuals both at rest and while
under stress. The study divided a group of middle-aged, obese men and women who
suffer from high blood pressure into two groups. For the first six weeks, one group was
given four grams of the amino acid L-citrulline and two grams of L-arginine per day, both from
watermelon extract. The other group was given a placebo for six weeks. Then, they switched for
the second six weeks. The results showed that consuming watermelon had a positive impact on
aortic blood pressure and other vascular parameters. Participants showed improvements in blood
pressure and cardiac stress while at rest and when they were exposed to cold water, which was meant
to simulate the cold weather conditions that put people under greater cardiovascular stress.
(Source: medicalxpress.com)
MAXFACTS
Growing tips, news and trivia
Year of the Cucumber
Cucumbers are one of America’s favorite home garden crops, and in recognition of all of
its attributes, the National Garden Bureau has declared 2014 the Year of the Cucumber.
Cucumbers are native to India and have been grown in Asia for thousands of years. They made
their way over to North America, where centuries later H. J. Heinz of Pittsburgh began bottling
pickles commercially. Cucumber varieties are divided into two main categories—slicers and
picklers—but within these divisions there is lots of variation. A new one to try is the Sliver Slicer,
an open-pollinated variety with 7- to 8-in. long, creamy white fruits with tender skin, sweet, mild
flavor, and pleasantly crunchy flesh. Bred by the organic vegetable breeding project at Cornell
University, the vigorous vines bear lots of cukes and are resistant to powdery mildew.
(Source: garden.org)
California Farmers Planting More Grapes
Grape vines are growing over more and more of California as farmers add to their
grape acreage, says a report from the National Agricultural Statistics Service of the
USDA. California’s 2013 grape acreage totaled 878,000 acres, up from 847,000
acres the year before. Of the total grape acreage last year, 820,000 were bearing while 58,000 were non-bearing. Acreage of raisin-type grapes totaled 203,000
acres, of which 200,000 were bearing and 3,000 were non-bearing. The NASS says there were no appreciable changes in
those numbers from 2012. Thompson Seedless continued
to be the leading raisin-type variety and was used for
raisins, fresh market, concentrate and wine.
(Source: centralvalleybusinesstimes.com)
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Maximum Yield USA | June 2014