Vit C makes twins

Will really boost sprout production

http://phys.org/news/2012-06-link-vitamin-twins-seed-production.html

Wow! Someday seed companies may advertise "Nearly 200% germination".

Far more important (to me anyway) is a second finding of the study:

The vitamin C also makes the plants more drought tolerant. It triggers the plant to save more water in its leaves, stalks.
This could be a significant finding to anybody in arid/semi-arid regions, or who can't/don't want to irrigate crops.

Read more about it here: http://newsroom.ucr.edu/781

to the first link, thats pretty cool info for sure


to the second link cool as it is(and i do think its cool) it bugs me that the USDA helped fund the studying to come to the conclusion that it helps with drought, not proper use of tax dollars under a constitutional republic(hope that doesnt come across as critizing you for posting, i appreciate it)
and how did they manage to get more Vit C into the plants and how might permaculturist's achieve more Vit C in our crops without "applying" some sort of solution or something?
it seems it may help hold up against drought better AND nearly double biomass production from each seed that germinated

it bugs me that the USDA helped fund the studying to come to the conclusion that it helps with drought, not proper use of tax dollars

The USDA funded the entire study, which came to several conclusions. The drought tolerance was just one of several findings.
The study also shows that many plants (including potato, tomato, and corn) will yield food crops that are richer in vitamin C.
And more bio mass per seed, and higher germination rates.

If these plants can also be grown with less irrigation, that is just icing on the cake.

I am curious to learn the techniques involved. I do know several people who use citric acid in their potting soil for tomatoes.

Injecting with vitamin c does not sound very cost freindly. Is this a plan for genetic modification ?

it was definately a wonderful study, just bothered by the size of our government and their ability to ignore the constitution, more of a general complaint than anything but like i said im still greatful for both of you posting

and citric acid you say?
would straight citrus juice work from fresh oranges/limes/lemons you think?
(i dont have any kinda citrus surviving up here as of yet but may eventually and if so then planting a few citrus trees in a food forest or any other kinda permaculture system may help with all these things as well

and perhaps planting a good number of plants in the system that are Vitamin C accumulators may help add more to the topsoil as well?

Honestly, I have no idea if citric acid would help (the people I know using it never mentioned 'twins'). It is a form of vitamin C, but my brief glance at the links seemed to indicate that they concentrated on a single compound. I should try to track down the actual paper and see if I can get some more details.

It would certainly be worth trying to experiment a little. Potentially multiple benefits.

Vitamin C is ascorbic acid, not citric acid.

Right you are.