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nafex - [NAFEX] RE: Sugar that's not so sweet

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  • From: bruce <rural@inebraska.com>
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [NAFEX] RE: Sugar that's not so sweet
  • Date: Thu, 02 Jun 2005 11:03:19 -0500

You might be interested in a newspaper clipping on sugar killing nematodes I found in my Dad's copy of the 1959 edition of Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening: The clipping is a column called Flowers and Gardens in the Omaha World Herald, date unfortunately torn off. The article reads:

Sugar in Soil
Destroys Pest . . .
Nematode 'Exploded'
in Plant Tests

By Dr. R. M. Carleton

A discovery just announced by the Department of Agriculture may be the key to the defeat of the worst agricultural pest of much of the nation--the nematode.
It is the discovery that if two parts of sugar are mixed with one hundred parts of soil, nematodes in the soil literally explode. The day after treatment, not a living nematode can be found.
The principle is extremely simple. It builds up in the soil a concentration of a solution which is higher than the concentration of fluid inside the nematode.
This causes fluids inside the nematode to flow out through its skin, killing it.
The scientist who made this discovery was not trying to kill nematodes but to find out whether he could feed plants with sugar solutions. Sugar is used by plants for growth and a quick method of feeding this substance might mean improved growth.
His test plants showed better growth, but not because they used the extra sugar. It was due to the death of nematodes.
The method for treating soils for pot plants is simple: measure and mix two parts of granulated sugar and one hundred parts of soil. This ought to be done a week or two before the soil is used.

END OF ARTICLE

I wonder what ever became of this supposedly important 1950's discovery???

Bruce





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