BACK-YARD RESEARCH

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There are many areas that could benefit from amateur research; natural pest management, mulch, fertilization and intercropping are just a few. In all, the home gardener seeking the truth can help all of us learn and grow. So this year, when you're planning your plot, why not plan one or two home-grown experiments as well?

Research Briefs

Soak it to me! Indian botanists claim that soaking tomato seeds in distilled, room-temperature water for about six hours, then air-drying them before planting increased subsequent fruit yields by 44%! The technique might work for some other vegetables, too.

Bug-fighting cabbages. According to field trials conducted by the New York Agricultural Experiment Station, the "old-time" cabbage varieties Danish Ballhead and Early Jersey Wakefield show more resistance to thrips than do newer commercial ones. Red Danish, another "senior cabbage," shows moderate resistance to both thrips and cabbageworms. However, of all 24 varieties tested, up-and-coming (not yet released) Geneva 8395 has the most resistance to both pests!

Grow your own peat . Purdue University researchers have found that milled, low-quality alfalfa can substitute for up to 30% of the peat moss in container growing mixes if the alfalfa has first been composted for at least a week. Apparently, the ammonia in fresh alfalfa can damage seedlings.

The ecological price tag . Two Western Illinois University scientists, attempting to determine the "ecological value" of a tree, estimated that an "average" silver maple might be worth $456 (the value of its providing such environmental benefits as erosion control and wildlife habitat). If such figures are valid, many trees how cut are actually worth more to society than to lumber mills.

Hi-pro corn . A new corn variety with twice the usable protein of most other types has been developed in Mexico. The U.S. National Research Council predicts that the new corn "will be grown worldwide before the turn of the century."

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