Comments for HowPlantsWork Weblog http://www.howplantswork.net exploring the inner workings of plants Fri, 04 Jun 2010 03:14:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Comment on C4 Plants: Where Did They Come From & Where are they Going? by plantguy http://www.howplantswork.net/?p=530&cpage=1#comment-114 plantguy Fri, 04 Jun 2010 03:14:29 +0000 http://www.howplantswork.net/?p=530#comment-114 Thanks for your comments. To answer your question: Interestingly, this was a project proposed by a grad student when I was a young assistant professor in 1985. But because C4 plants have not only biochemical but leaf anatomical differences from C3 plants, it seems very unlikely that scientists would be able to somehow engineer such a large number of genetic changes. (Evolution apparently did it through millions of years of selective pressure of relatively low CO2 and through amplification of genes C3 plants already possessed.) Ironically, increasing atmospheric CO2, primarily from burning fossil fuels, will likely erase much of the current photosynthetic advantages of C4 plants in the years to come. I predict C4 plants will slowly be displaced by their C3 counterparts as photorespiration decreases due to high CO2. Once upon a time, I did research on plants living in high CO2 environments (due to volcanic CO2 gassing) in Yellowstone Park. (see http://hotplants.howplantswork.net ) The C3 plants grew very lushly in such environments. Thanks for your comments.
To answer your question:
Interestingly, this was a project proposed by a grad student when I was a young assistant professor in 1985.
But because C4 plants have not only biochemical but leaf anatomical differences from C3 plants, it seems very unlikely that scientists would be able to somehow engineer such a large number of genetic changes. (Evolution apparently did it through millions of years of selective pressure of relatively low CO2 and through amplification of genes C3 plants already possessed.)
Ironically, increasing atmospheric CO2, primarily from burning fossil fuels, will likely erase much of the current photosynthetic advantages of C4 plants in the years to come. I predict C4 plants will slowly be displaced by their C3 counterparts as photorespiration decreases due to high CO2.
Once upon a time, I did research on plants living in high CO2 environments (due to volcanic CO2 gassing) in Yellowstone Park. (see http://hotplants.howplantswork.net ) The C3 plants grew very lushly in such environments.

]]> Comment on C4 Plants: Where Did They Come From & Where are they Going? by Jeremy http://www.howplantswork.net/?p=530&cpage=1#comment-112 Jeremy Wed, 26 May 2010 07:23:22 +0000 http://www.howplantswork.net/?p=530#comment-112 Fine post. Do you have any opinions on the likely success of attempts to engineer C4 pathways into C3 plants? Fine post. Do you have any opinions on the likely success of attempts to engineer C4 pathways into C3 plants?

]]> Comment on About by plantguy http://www.howplantswork.net/?page_id=4&cpage=1#comment-68 plantguy Tue, 20 Apr 2010 02:11:34 +0000 http://www.howplantswork.net/?page_id=4#comment-68 See my mirror site (howplantswork.wordpress.com) for my reply. See my mirror site (howplantswork.wordpress.com) for my reply.

]]> Comment on About by Botany Student http://www.howplantswork.net/?page_id=4&cpage=1#comment-60 Botany Student Fri, 16 Apr 2010 17:27:05 +0000 http://www.howplantswork.net/?page_id=4#comment-60 Hi! Is me again!! I have a question again too!! Do you know what are the major differences between the life cycles of angiosperms/gymnosperms and the life cycles of Algae, Fungi, bryophytes and seedless vascular plants? Thanx for your BIG HELP! :D Hi! Is me again!! I have a question again too!!
Do you know what are the major differences between the life cycles of angiosperms/gymnosperms and the life cycles of Algae, Fungi, bryophytes and seedless vascular plants?
Thanx for your BIG HELP! :D

]]> Comment on Plants Don’t Convert CO2 into O2 by Mike http://www.howplantswork.net/?p=243&cpage=1#comment-14 Mike Sun, 01 Mar 2009 09:11:04 +0000 http://howplantswork.wordpress.com/?p=243#comment-14 Just passing by.Btw, you website have great content! _________________________________ Making Money <a href="http://tinyurl.com/rich-quickly/1073991" rel="nofollow">$150 An Hour</a> Just passing by.Btw, you website have great content!

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]]> Comment on How Plants Tell Time by Sally http://www.howplantswork.net/?p=207&cpage=1#comment-13 Sally Sat, 31 Jan 2009 15:07:34 +0000 http://howplantswork.wordpress.com/?p=207#comment-13 Fascinating post! It seems like it would be a challenge to make the Linnaean kind successful. Thanks for writing up the details of how plants tell time, and for the great links. Fascinating post! It seems like it would be a challenge to make the Linnaean kind successful. Thanks for writing up the details of how plants tell time, and for the great links.

]]> Comment on Will Frenzied Plant Growth Help Solve Global Warming? by Erich J. Knight http://www.howplantswork.net/?p=181&cpage=1#comment-12 Erich J. Knight Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:24:11 +0000 http://howplantswork.wordpress.com/?p=181#comment-12 I thought these updates and endorsements may interest you, Sen. Ken Salazar has done the most to nurse this biofuels system in his Biochar provisions in the 07 & 08 farm bill, http://www.biochar-international.org/newinformationevents/newlegislation.html Below are my current news & Links to major developments; Cheers, Erich J. Knight 540 289 9750 At USDA Dr.Jeffrey Novak is coordinating Biochar research. I've had productive contacts with Douglas Lawrence, director NSCS & Farm bill coordinator, and through him, David Douds with ARS for MYC & VAM Fungi research, and Chris Nichols ARS glomalin research. My other most successful efforts to date are continuing briefings to Michael Pollan (Food Column NYTs & author) over the last year. In a recent National Public Radio interview, Michael Pollan talks about how he was approached by a Democratic party staffer about his New York Times article, The "Farmer & Chief" article is an open letter to the next president concerning U.S. agriculture/energy policy. The staffer wanted Pollan to summarize the article into a page or two to get it into the hands of Barack Obama. Pollan declined, saying that if he could have said everything that needed to be said in two pages, he wouldn't have written 8000 words. Michael Pollan is well briefed and excited about Biochar technology, but did not include it in his "Farmer & Chief" article to President Obama, (Which he did read & cited in a speech) but I'm sure Biochar will be his 8001th word to him. Changing World Technologies Ultimately we must leave the combustion age behind. Charcoal to the soil is a bridging first step as other energy conversion technologies bloom from Nano and bio research . Thankfully we can do Terra Preta (TP) soil with off the shelf technology now. Oil companies must come to see the overwhelming value of their fossil carbon as the best feedstock for the manufacture ( via carbon nanotubes, fullerines, DNA programed nano self assembly, etc.) of virtually all things in the near future. This convergences of different technologies will end the Combustion age. TP starts as a soil nano technology with increased CEC, than a micro technology with our wee- beasties / fungus, and macro with bugs and worms. Biochar, the modern version of an ancient Amazonian agricultural practice called Terra Preta (black earth), is gaining widespread credibility as a way to address world hunger, climate change, rural poverty, deforestation, and energy shortages… SIMULTANEOUSLY! Modern Pyrolysis of biomass is a process for Carbon Negative Bio fuels, massive Carbon sequestration,10X Lower Methane & N2O soil emissions, and 3X Fertility Too. Every 1 ton of Biomass yields 1/3 ton Charcoal for soil Sequestration, Bio-Gas & Bio-oil fuels, so is a totally virtuous, carbon negative energy cycle. Charles Mann ("1491") in the Sept. National Geographic has a wonderful soils article which places Terra Preta / Biochar soils center stage. Please put this (soil) bug in your colleague's ears. These issues need to gain traction among all the various disciplines who have an iron in this fire. The NGM cover reads "WHERE FOOD BEGINS" http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/09/soil/mann-text It's what Mann hasn't covered that I thought should interest you and Sen. Salazar; NASA's Dr. James Hansen Global warming solutions paper and letter to the G-8 conference, placing Biochar / Land management the central technology for carbon negative energy systems. http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/0804/0804.1126.pdf The many new university programs & field studies, in temperate soils; Cornell, ISU, U of H, U of GA, Virginia Tech, JMU, New Zealand, Germany and Australia. Biochar data base; http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/?q=node Glomalin's role in soil tilth, fertility & basis for the soil food web in Terra Preta soils. POZNAN, Poland, December 10, 2008 - The International Biochar Initiative (IBI) announces that the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has submitted a proposal to include biochar as a mitigation and adaptation technology to be considered in the post-2012-Copenhagen agenda of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). A copy of the proposal is posted on the IBI website at The International Biochar Initiative (IBI). Given the current "Crisis" atmosphere concerning energy, soil sustainability, food vs. Biofuels, and Climate Change what other subject addresses them all? This is a Nano technology for the soil that represents the most comprehensive, low cost, and productive approach to long term stewardship and sustainability. Carbon to the Soil, the only ubiquitous and economic place to put it. If pre-Colombian Kayopo Indians could produce these soils up to 6 feet deep over 15% of the Amazon basin using "Slash & CHAR" verses "Slash & Burn", it seems that our energy and agricultural industries could also product them at scale. Harnessing the work of this vast number of microbes and fungi changes the whole equation of energy return over energy input (EROEI) for food and Bio fuels. I see this as the only sustainable agricultural strategy if we no longer have cheap fossil fuels for fertilizer. We need this super community of wee-beasties to work in concert with us by populating them into their proper Soil horizon Carbon Condos. Erich J. Knight Shenandoah Gardens 1047 Dave Berry Rd. McGaheysville, VA. 22840 (540) 289-9750 shengar@aol.com I thought these updates and endorsements may interest you,

Sen. Ken Salazar has done the most to nurse this biofuels system in his Biochar provisions in the 07 & 08 farm bill,
http://www.biochar-international.org/newinformationevents/newlegislation.html

Below are my current news & Links to major developments;

Cheers,
Erich J. Knight
540 289 9750

At USDA Dr.Jeffrey Novak is coordinating Biochar research.
I’ve had productive contacts with Douglas Lawrence, director NSCS & Farm bill coordinator, and through him, David Douds with ARS for MYC & VAM Fungi research, and Chris Nichols ARS glomalin research.

My other most successful efforts to date are continuing briefings to Michael Pollan (Food Column NYTs & author) over the last year.
In a recent National Public Radio interview, Michael Pollan talks about how he was approached by a Democratic party staffer about his New York Times article, The “Farmer & Chief” article is an open letter to the next president concerning U.S. agriculture/energy policy. The staffer wanted Pollan to summarize the article into a page or two to get it into the hands of Barack Obama. Pollan declined, saying that if he could have said everything that needed to be said in two pages, he wouldn’t have written 8000 words.
Michael Pollan is well briefed and excited about Biochar technology, but did not include it in his “Farmer & Chief” article to President Obama, (Which he did read & cited in a speech) but I’m sure Biochar will be his 8001th word to him.

Changing World Technologies

Ultimately we must leave the combustion age behind. Charcoal to the soil is a bridging first step as other energy conversion technologies bloom from Nano and bio research . Thankfully we can do Terra Preta (TP) soil with off the shelf technology now.

Oil companies must come to see the overwhelming value of their fossil carbon as the best feedstock for the manufacture ( via carbon nanotubes, fullerines, DNA programed nano self assembly, etc.) of virtually all things in the near future.

This convergences of different technologies will end the Combustion age.

TP starts as a soil nano technology with increased CEC, than a micro technology with our wee- beasties / fungus, and macro with bugs and worms.

Biochar, the modern version of an ancient Amazonian agricultural practice called Terra Preta (black earth), is gaining widespread credibility as a way to address world hunger, climate change, rural poverty, deforestation, and energy shortages… SIMULTANEOUSLY!

Modern Pyrolysis of biomass is a process for Carbon Negative Bio fuels, massive Carbon sequestration,10X Lower Methane & N2O soil emissions, and 3X Fertility Too.
Every 1 ton of Biomass yields 1/3 ton Charcoal for soil Sequestration, Bio-Gas & Bio-oil fuels, so is a totally virtuous, carbon negative energy cycle.

Charles Mann (“1491″) in the Sept. National Geographic has a wonderful soils article which places Terra Preta / Biochar soils center stage.

Please put this (soil) bug in your colleague’s ears. These issues need to gain traction among all the various disciplines who have an iron in this fire.

The NGM cover reads “WHERE FOOD BEGINS”
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/09/soil/mann-text

It’s what Mann hasn’t covered that I thought should interest you and Sen. Salazar;

NASA’s Dr. James Hansen Global warming solutions paper and letter to the G-8 conference, placing Biochar / Land management the central technology for carbon negative energy systems.
http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/0804/0804.1126.pdf

The many new university programs & field studies, in temperate soils; Cornell, ISU, U of H, U of GA, Virginia Tech, JMU, New Zealand, Germany and Australia.

Biochar data base;
http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/?q=node

Glomalin’s role in soil tilth, fertility & basis for the soil food web in Terra Preta soils.

POZNAN, Poland, December 10, 2008 – The International Biochar Initiative (IBI) announces that the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has submitted a proposal to include biochar as a mitigation and adaptation technology to be considered in the post-2012-Copenhagen agenda of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). A copy of the proposal is posted on the IBI website at
The International Biochar Initiative (IBI).

Given the current “Crisis” atmosphere concerning energy, soil sustainability, food vs. Biofuels, and Climate Change what other subject addresses them all?

This is a Nano technology for the soil that represents the most comprehensive, low cost, and productive approach to long term stewardship and sustainability.

Carbon to the Soil, the only ubiquitous and economic place to put it.

If pre-Colombian Kayopo Indians could produce these soils up to 6 feet deep over 15% of the Amazon basin using “Slash & CHAR” verses “Slash & Burn”, it seems that our energy and agricultural industries could also product them at scale.

Harnessing the work of this vast number of microbes and fungi changes the whole equation of energy return over energy input (EROEI) for food and Bio fuels. I see this as the only sustainable agricultural strategy if we no longer have cheap fossil fuels for fertilizer.

We need this super community of wee-beasties to work in concert with us by populating them into their proper Soil horizon Carbon Condos.

Erich J. Knight
Shenandoah Gardens
1047 Dave Berry Rd.
McGaheysville, VA. 22840
(540) 289-9750
shengar@aol.com

]]> Comment on How Stress Shapes Plants by howplantswork http://www.howplantswork.net/?p=168&cpage=1#comment-8 howplantswork Fri, 19 Dec 2008 18:59:06 +0000 http://howplantswork.wordpress.com/?p=168#comment-8 In case you didn't notice, you can visit the photographer's Flickr site by clicking on the photo. Thanks for the comment. In case you didn’t notice, you can visit the photographer’s Flickr site by clicking on the photo.
Thanks for the comment.

]]> Comment on How Stress Shapes Plants by Patrick http://www.howplantswork.net/?p=168&cpage=1#comment-10 Patrick Fri, 19 Dec 2008 18:21:43 +0000 http://howplantswork.wordpress.com/?p=168#comment-10 Beautiful Landart stone spiral :) Patrick Beautiful Landart stone spiral :)
Patrick

]]> Comment on New Plant Hormones Discovered? by howplantswork http://www.howplantswork.net/?p=29&cpage=1#comment-3 howplantswork Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:17:39 +0000 http://howplantswork.wordpress.com/?p=29#comment-3 Jason You may find some info of interest re. bonsai here: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081111102804.htm And more about strigolactones (600kb PDF file) here: http://www.plant-stuff.net/plantphys/PDFs/strigolactones.pdf Thanks for your comments and interest, Rich Jason

You may find some info of interest re. bonsai here:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081111102804.htm

And more about strigolactones (600kb PDF file) here:
http://www.plant-stuff.net/plantphys/PDFs/strigolactones.pdf

Thanks for your comments and interest,

Rich

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