A Sprinkling of Carbon Nanotubes Makes Plants Grow Faster
source: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427285.800-a-sprinkling-of-nanotubes-makes-plants-sh...
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Tiny they may be, but carbon nanotubes have found a remarkable range of uses, from stretchy loudspeakers to artificial photosynthesis. Now use as a fertilizer can be added to the list.
Plant biologist Mariya Khodakovskaya and nanotechnologist Alexandru Biris, both at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, planted tomato seeds in a growth medium that contained carbon nanotubes. They found that the seeds germinated sooner and seedlings grew faster than those in a non-treated medium.
Nanostructures have been reported to boost germination before, but no explanation for the phenomenon has been offered until now. The pair noticed that the nanotubes appear to penetrate the thick seed coat, which would allow water to enter the dry seeds more rapidly. This could explain how they boost germination, Khodakovskaya says.
Ken Donaldson at the University of Edinburgh in the UK warns that even if nanotubes did become cheap enough to use as a fertilizer, safety could be an issue. Last year, Donaldson found that carbon nanotubes trigger toxic effects in mice similar to those associated with asbestos fibers.
Plant biologist Mariya Khodakovskaya and nanotechnologist Alexandru Biris, both at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, planted tomato seeds in a growth medium that contained carbon nanotubes. They found that the seeds germinated sooner and seedlings grew faster than those in a non-treated medium.
Nanostructures have been reported to boost germination before, but no explanation for the phenomenon has been offered until now. The pair noticed that the nanotubes appear to penetrate the thick seed coat, which would allow water to enter the dry seeds more rapidly. This could explain how they boost germination, Khodakovskaya says.
Ken Donaldson at the University of Edinburgh in the UK warns that even if nanotubes did become cheap enough to use as a fertilizer, safety could be an issue. Last year, Donaldson found that carbon nanotubes trigger toxic effects in mice similar to those associated with asbestos fibers.
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