Re: Messenger in Alaska

**"* G* <l*@comcast.net>**

There is also a large dose of commercialism in this.  I choose to be careful
about promoting specific products, preferring to advise of generic
solutions.  Much of garden writing has become an apology for marketing
products rather than information.

Stephen Lamphear,
The Lazy Gardener
Robinson Newspapers
Seattle, WA
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>
To: "GWL" <gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Friday, March 05, 2004 11:35 AM
Subject: [GWL] Messenger in Alaska

> Eva Monheim just sent a story to the list, and I'm not sure it reached it
> because of all the fonts, attachments, etc.  It's worth posting, but it
> should have been cleaned up for the list, instead of just sending the web
> page, the way it was.
> -Lon Rombough
> *********************************************
>
>
> Dear Fellow Garden Writers -
>
> Jeff Lowenfels just wrote this article today and boy does he have a
> following.  The new product Messenger(R) is creating such a buzz that my
> computer was near the crashing point - hundreds of responses and the day
is
> not even half over up in Alaska.
>
> I thought that you all should know the effects and affects of the garden
> writer.  When you know your audience, you create the buzz that goes on for
> .... well perhaps a longer time than any of us could realize.
>
> Thanks Jeff!!  Your the Best
>
> Eva Monheim
> ------------------------
>
> New product can speed plant growth during short summer
>
> JEFF LOWENFELS
> GARDENING
>
> (Published: March 5, 2004)
>
> As an Alaska gardener, I'm always on the hunt for ways to take advantage
of
> unlimited summer daylight as well as compensate for our cruelly short
> growing season.
>
> I recently came across a new product that may help in both arenas. There
is
> no question it's worth trying, and there are free samples to be tested to
> help in the venture.
>
> The product is Messenger, and it has been dubbed "a plant health
activator."
> It's sold in powder form and is primarily sprayed onto leaves, where it
> causes a series of reactions that markedly improve plant growth.
>
> The story began almost 10 years ago, when a scientist at Cornell
University
> discovered a protein produced by pathogens as they attack plants. Called
> "harpin," this protein is detectable by plant defense systems and triggers
a
> number of reactions by the plant to protect itself.
>
> One of the major responses is faster uptake of nutrients. This causes the
> plant to grow bigger and faster. This means bigger plants earlier with
more
> flowers and fruits and, obviously, healthy plants.
>
> This is no different, in a sense, from your own system: You get a cold
> virus, and the presence of that virus triggers your immune system to put
up
> defenses.
>
> When the harpin protein is applied to leaves without an accompanying
> pathogen, the plant still reacts as if it were under attack.
>
> The harpin disappears quickly as it is eaten by microbes on the leaves,
but
> the reaction to its presence continues.
>
> Tests show increased seed germination, better root development, increased
> immunity to diseases and better tolerance to stress. The produce from
> treated plants even has a longer shelf life than produce from untreated
> plants.
>
> Best of all, harpin is nothing more than a protein that's good microbial
> fodder -- so safe it disappears, you might say. Obviously, it should be
> compatible with compost tea, being added at the end of the brewing
process.
> The point is, this is not a poison and will do no harm to the environment.
>
> On its own, this stuff sounds better than penicillin. However, what should
> be of particular interest to Alaskans is that Messenger results in earlier
> flowering as well as earlier fruit maturation. One of our major hurdles is
> dealing with a short growing season. Messenger might help in this area and
> is surely worth using in experiments on the plants we traditionally grow
as
> well as some that have been marginal but might make it with Messenger's
> help. So far, all plants tested with Messenger respond positively.
>
> And I can't help wondering what Messenger's impact might be on vegetables
> that already grow big. This product could influence the outcome of state
> fair big veggie contests.
>
> Why am I so excited? I visited the Eden Bioscience facilities and saw
> treated roses that were at least 10 days ahead of nontreated roses coming
> out of dormancy. I saw root balls that were significantly fuller than
those
> without treatment. I was shown studies of earlier raspberries and reduced
> diseases in fruits, both a result of the harpin protein.
>
> The folks who promote harpin made one mistake, however. They agreed to
give
> away a free sample to any of my readers. If it's as good here in the field
> as it was in the lab in Bothell, Wash., every one of us should get a free
> sample right now. You can do so by sending an e-mail to Eva Monheim
> (Eva@gardenmediagroup.com). Put your mailing address in the message field
> and the words "Anchorage Daily News sample" in the subject line, and she
> will send you a sample of Messenger to try. I am sending for mine now.
>
> Jeff Lowenfels gardens in Anchorage. He is a member of the Garden Writers
> Association of America. He can be reached at jeff@gardener.com.
>
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