North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Mark Lee" <markl@nytec.com>]

Diane,
I found this article on the subject:
http://www.ccpa.ca/english/position/enviro/SoilQuality.html

One reason I think this technique has failed to take off is given in the
article...

"CCPA: Do you have a patent on these geraniums?
SK: Yes. The University of Guelph has filed a patent on the use of any of
the Pelargonium species -- geranium species for contaminant remediation
purposes."

Any geranium species?  That seems crazy to me.  If someone pays you to grow
these unpatented plants in polluted soil to remove the heavy metals, you owe
the University of Guelph a royalty.  How can they get away with that?  They
didn't invent the geranium.

-Mark Lee

-----Original Message-----
From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org]On Behalf Of Diane Whitehead
Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2003 10:54 PM
To: North American Fruit Explorers
Subject: [JunkMail] Re: [NAFEX] Lead takes root in urban gardens


Last week there was a short article in the Toronto Globe and Mail
wondering why research done at the University of Guelph in 1999
hadn't been put to use yet. The quotes are presumably from the
research report, but the citation wasn't given.
----------------------------------------
excerpts from Stephen Strauss article "Flower Power Missing"

The lemon-scented geranium "will offer significant improvements to
the environment" because of its "uncanny ability to absorb metal and
organic pollutants."

After the geranium sucked up cadmium, lead, copper and other
poisonous metals from the ground, the soil ... was clean enough to
grow food in.

..... further studies have found they are also good at removing salt.
-----------------------------------------

The lemon-scented geranium is a small-leaved pelargonium which is
tender to frost, and often grown as a houseplant.  It could be grown
outside in the summer.  I don't know what one would do with it at the
end of summer when it would presumably be full of heavy metals.

--
Diane Whitehead  Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
maritime zone 8
cool mediterranean climate (dry summer, rainy winter - 68 cm annually)
sandy soil
_______________________________________________
nafex mailing list
nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

To unsubscribe, go to the bottom of this page (also can be used to change
other email options):
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex

File attachments are NOT stripped by this list
TAKE STEPS TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM COMPUTER VIRUSES!
Please do not send binary files.
Use plain text ONLY in emails!

Message archives are here:
https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/nafex

NAFEX web site:   http://www.nafex.org/