[CH] New use for peppers
IEATCHILES (IEATCHILES@aol.com)
Thu, 1 Jan 1998 12:44:00 EST
Way To Preserve Flower Developed
.c The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - A new way to keep chrysanthemums from wilting has been
developed by researchers at the capital's National Arboretum - treating the
soil with cloves or chili peppers.
It's an important matter for American florists and nurseries, which find mums
a favorite winter cut flower. They sold 57 million of them and an estimated
100 million pompons - the smaller flowers used in bouquets - in 1995, the last
year for which figures are available.
Mums are subject to damage from fusarium wilt. The traditional way of
protecting them has been to fumigate them with a chemical called methyl
bromide. But the guidelines of the Clean Air Act will ban that in 2001.
So the arboretum, run by the Agriculture Department, started looking for
something else. They found that extracts made from cloves and hot peppers
chase off the organism that causes the wilt. They also had successful results
in the laboratory with oil of mustard and extract from the cassia tree.
The chili peppers destroyed 99.9 percent of the fusarium. Clove and cassia did
less well, but still a respectable 97.5 percent and 96.1 percent. The clove
and cassia also kept their powers to destroy the dangerous fungus for a longer
time.
The researchers are now working on a two-step strategy. First they will add
pepper or clove extract to the chrysanthemums' soil to attack the fusarium.
Then they will bring in friendly micro-organisms to finish the job.