Hydrogen Sulfide Greatly Enhances Plant Growth

[cronus]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 185531.htm

Hydrogen Sulfide Greatly Enhances Plant Growth: Key Ingredient in Mass Extinctions Could Boost Food, Biofuel Production

Apr. 17, 2013 — Hydrogen sulfide, the pungent stuff often referred to as sewer gas, is a deadly substance implicated in several mass extinctions, including one at the end of the Permian period 251 million years ago that wiped out more than three-quarters of all species on Earth.

But in low doses, hydrogen sulfide could greatly enhance plant growth, leading to a sharp increase in global food supplies and plentiful stock for biofuel production, new University of Washington research shows.
"We found some very interesting things, including that at the very lowest levels plant health improves. But that's not what we were looking for," said Frederick Dooley, a UW doctoral student in biology who led the research.
Dooley started off to examine the toxic effects of hydrogen sulfide on plants but mistakenly used only one-tenth the amount of the toxin he had intended. The results were so unbelievable that he repeated the experiment. Still unconvinced, he repeated it again -- and again, and again. In fact, the results have been replicated so often that they are now "a near certainty," he said.
"Everything else that's ever been done on plants was looking at hydrogen sulfide in high concentrations," he said.
The research is published online April 17 in PLOS ONE, a Public Library of Science journal.

At high concentrations -- levels of 30 to 100 parts per million in water -- hydrogen sulfide can be lethal to humans. At one part per million it emits a telltale rotten-egg smell. Dooley used a concentration of 1 part per billion or less to water seeds of peas, beans and wheat on a weekly basis. Treating the seeds less often reduced the effect, and watering more often typically killed them.
With wheat, all the seeds germinated in one to two days instead of four or five, and with peas and beans the typical 40 percent rate of germination rose to 60 to 70 percent.
"They germinate faster and they produce roots and leaves faster. Basically what we've done is accelerate the entire plant process," he said.
Crop yields nearly doubled, said Peter Ward, Dooley's doctoral adviser, a UW professor of biology and of Earth and space sciences and an authority on Earth's mass extinctions.
Hydrogen sulfide, probably produced when sulfates in the oceans were decomposed by sulfur bacteria, is believed to have played a significant role in several extinction events, in particular the "Great Dying" at the end of the Permian period. Ward suggests that the rapid plant growth could be the result of genetic signaling passed down in the wake of mass extinctions.
At high concentrations, hydrogen sulfide killed small plants very easily while larger plants had a better chance at survival, he said, so it is likely that plants carry a defense mechanism that spurs their growth when they sense hydrogen sulfide.

(continued, more interesting times ahead?)

[PsychoSerenity]

Well that's lunch sorted. Then it's insects for dinner, and a laboratory produced Full English for tomorrow's breakfast.

[cronus]

Well that's lunch sorted. Then it's insects for dinner, and a laboratory produced Full English for tomorrow's breakfast.

Insects the size of chickens next? Wasn't there a movie 'Food of the Gods' or something?

[Tyrannical]

I call bullshit.

If it was that dramatic an effect it would have been discovered ages ago because hydrogen sulfide is sometimes present in groundwater at those amounts. And those amounts must be way off, the article claims he was using 1 part per billion accidentally when he meant to use 10 ppb? It takes a thousand times that before water smells. Home testing units only detect down to 300 ppb.

[pErvinalia]

my arse emits about 10000 ppb

[Tyrannical]

I found the real article it was based on, and he was using 10 micro mole concentrations.
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Ad ... ne.0062048

[cronus]

I found the real article it was based on, and he was using 10 micro mole concentrations.
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Ad ... ne.0062048

Does it work though? Sounds like a five magic beans scam but appears to be from a credible source?

[Tyrannical]

I found the real article it was based on, and he was using 10 micro mole concentrations.
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Ad ... ne.0062048

Does it work though? Sounds like a five magic beans scam but appears to be from a credible source?

Well, it should be easy enough to test by any home gardener.

[JimC]

I'm sure my compost emits a fair amount...

And it makes the vegies grow right well!

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Plants grow bigger faster, exhaust the soil quicker, more fertlizer needed, net gain zero. Of course I could be wrong, I'm no dirt farmer.

[Tyrannical]

Plants grow bigger faster, exhaust the soil quicker, more fertlizer needed, net gain zero. Of course I could be wrong, I'm no dirt farmer.

Still a big net gain if more fertilizer was needed.

[PsychoSerenity]

Plants grow bigger faster, exhaust the soil quicker, more fertlizer needed, net gain zero. Of course I could be wrong, I'm no dirt farmer.

While intensive industrial monoculture farming does usually have a negative impact on soil, there's no real requirement for it. Using other techniques in combination with this could give far greater yields while improving soil quality - but it would make agriculture more labour intensive until we get cleverer robots. Also this would not be an issue at all with hydroponic farming.

[Feck]

I'm off to test the results of some hydroponic production this weekend