Tomato plants emit an aroma in order to ward off bacterial attacks. This volatile compound is hexenyl butyrate (HB), and according to testing by researchers at the Institute for Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology, it has great potential for protecting crops from infections, drought, etc.
[...] "The application of this compound in fields is a new natural strategy for improving crop yields. Treatments will protect crops from biotic and abiotic stress easily, efficiently and at a low cost," says Purificación Lisón, researcher at the Institute for Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology (UPV-CSIC.)
The compound closes the stomata, which is the key to protecting plants. According to the researchers at IBMCP, there are no other products on the market with these properties, making it significant for the farming industry. Another advantage is that it is easy to use. As a volatile compound, it can be applied by spraying onto plants and also by using diffuser devices.
Will "smells like tomatoes" come to describe crops the way "tastes like chicken" describes meat?
(Score: 5, Informative) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Monday January 14 2019, @08:19PM (3 children)
It's a resizable leaf pore that enables gas absorption.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 14 2019, @08:26PM
No, _you're_ a resizeable leaf pore that enables gas absorption.
(Score: 2) by KilroySmith on Monday January 14 2019, @08:38PM
"The compound closes the stomata" which is " a resizable leaf pore that enables gas absorption".
So, they're smothering the plant to save it from bacterial attacks. Sounds so 1960s'ish.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 14 2019, @11:31PM
And to be linquistically accurate, stomata is the plular while stoma is singular.
(Score: 2) by Megahard on Monday January 14 2019, @08:27PM
Which, according to this website [perfumersworld.com],
[of Ulm]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 14 2019, @08:36PM
smells like fish . . .
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 14 2019, @08:55PM
https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/solanaceae.htm [sciencedaily.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 14 2019, @10:01PM (2 children)
"it has great potential for protecting crops from infections, drought, etc."
i suppose this is a round-about way of saying that the plesantly tomato-like smelling plant will be cared for by the farmer (lets go smell the garden; oh look the plant needs water) -or- "somehow the tomato smell will induce rain to ward of a drought."
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 14 2019, @11:17PM
It closes the stomata, which greatly reduces a plant's need for water. The trade off is slower growing/smaller plants. The most benefit would be combining it with weather forecasts. If you know you are going to have a dry week, spray the plants and help them survive.
(Score: 1) by anubi on Tuesday January 15 2019, @03:47AM
Wouldn't be a shame to attract millions of tomato worms, some travelling for miles, to arrive only to discover after their journey, there's no tomatoes?
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]