Hi Steemians,
BACKGROUND
My grandmother has a PHD in Horticulture. She specializes everything about plants especially root crops. This also helped me in an inclination to these wonderful species. I can name a number of plants including their scientific names. Here is a little bit of trivia why they are named these way(binomial nomenclature). 2 words: Latin and unique. As we all know, the English language is dynamic and Latin is dead. 1st word is its genus and the 2nd word is the species. Example is Mangifera indica or the common mango. It means that there are other variants/species under the genus Mangifera but only one type of species which is the common mango.
We all know the basics or what there is to know about plants including their morphology and purpose. We know they play a vital role in the environment. They are the source of oxygen, shade, timber, food, clothing, infrastructure, protection and many more uses.
Somehow, there have been many questions about plants and their existence in certain places. This is where I am interested in discussing about.
FIRST MARVEL
Why are mangoes sweeter or thrive better in one island and not so fruit-bearing in another?
If the species is the same, the answer actually lies in many factors including topography, humidity, temperature, amount of rainfall, soil composition and wind. Let us take my country as an example: The Philippines. The Philippines, as a country experience just one climate. This climate is suitable for the mango tree to thrive well. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. I have observed that mango trees at our university in Leyte tend to bear fruits twice per annum. The fruits are averagely sweet but is nothing compared to the fruits in Guimaras Island and Cebu. Imagine these islands are not so far apart!
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One of the answer lies in topography. My place is situated relatively higher than the other 2 islands. Other factors include temperature and soil composition which also makes sense because higher altitude can also mean lower temperature. Also the mountains in our place can alter the precipitation and wind patterns.
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This resulted to lower yield in our place than the other two islands mentioned. See? Even a difference in the surroundings can actually change the output. That is how marvelous and at the same time complicated plants are!
SECOND MARVEL
Are GMO's safe or not?
The second one I am interested to discuss is the introduction of GMO's. GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organisms. It sounds so scientific and complex but this is just simply applying biotechnology and science to engineer plants to be resistant and with more quality(bigger, sweeter, greener longer, etc) than the normal product. This also has been a long debate mostly centered on health issues.
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The famous GMO that is widely used in the market nowadays especially here is the BT eggplant(Bacillus thuringiensis) . Eggplants are very prone to pests and sickness. BT is a bacteria that is a natural pesticide. Infusing the abilities of BT into the eggplant makes the plant resistant.
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This is also very helpful because the harmful chemicals brought about by using pesticides and insecticides will be avoided. This is also helpful not to experience the effects brought about by these synthetic ingredients. The long-term health concerns is still an issue but no definitive proof yet.
You see, there are really pros and cons when you introduce science and technology into a naturally occurring existence, phenomenon or state. Assessing both would be very helpful but yet we have to embrace change. We need to develop the cons and turn them instead into opportunities as the possibilities are endless for GMO's not just for plants but also for animals as well.
THIRD MARVEL
What can you do to identify soil nutrient deficiency?
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To test soil quality and nutrients, people spend thousands for experiments and tests. In the area of plant fertilizing, breeding and growth, the plant needs to have the correct ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to thrive at its optimum. When you are able to identify what is missing in your garden's soil composition, you would know what to apply. What if you don't?
What if there is a vacant lot near your place that you want to homestead and garden?
The answer lies in the knowledge in indicator plants. These plants will help you determine what is deficient in a certain area and will be able to supplement it.
If you see corn or plant one and it thrives, you can safely say the soil lack either or combination of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Peanuts, peas and beans also are good indicators that the soil is nitrogen-deficient. Tomatoes, cereals and the duranta plant can identify that the soil is lacking phosphorus. As ironic may it sound, the existence of banana helps to indicate that soil is potassium-deficient even if it is a source of potassium. Potatoes and cotton also help prove that the soil lacks potassium.
This will help you save thousands for soil testing.
You see there are still a lot to learn about plants. They have fun facts and amazing concepts worth knowing and learning. Don't be contented in the though that they are there because they serve as a source. Understanding plants help you to understand the world we live in as well. There are still a lot to discuss but these are what I thought to be interesting.
