Grass. People walk, sit and lay on grass every day but how many look down and see that the grass is alive. That pleasant smell of new mown hay or a fresh cut lawn is actually the smell of pheromones sent out by the grass. It's the plants way of signaling distress and also summoning beneficial insects to the rescue. The fresh scent of a just-mowed lawn is the lawn trying to save itself from the injury you just inflicted. The grass is screaming for help. We can't hear the scream but we can smell it.
The chemicals that the grass emits does a few other things. Some of the compounds stimulate the formation of new cells at the wound site so it closes faster. Others act as antibiotics that prevent bacterial infection and inhibit fungal growth. A few spur the production of defensive compounds at un-wounded sites as sort of a pre-emptive fortification.
Recently it has been discovered that these compounds are precursors to ozone formation and can contribute to the formation of photochemical smog in urban areas. So to the environmentalists out there, maybe you should let the grass grow under your feet.
I learned all this from my oldest daughter who does ag research for Texas A&M. After working the land for the better part of my life it has become clear to me that the more I know about it, the farther away I am from understanding anything. That's okay by me. When I was young I knew everything and now, all I know is that I don't know anything.
The chemicals that the grass emits does a few other things. Some of the compounds stimulate the formation of new cells at the wound site so it closes faster. Others act as antibiotics that prevent bacterial infection and inhibit fungal growth. A few spur the production of defensive compounds at un-wounded sites as sort of a pre-emptive fortification.
Recently it has been discovered that these compounds are precursors to ozone formation and can contribute to the formation of photochemical smog in urban areas. So to the environmentalists out there, maybe you should let the grass grow under your feet.
I learned all this from my oldest daughter who does ag research for Texas A&M. After working the land for the better part of my life it has become clear to me that the more I know about it, the farther away I am from understanding anything. That's okay by me. When I was young I knew everything and now, all I know is that I don't know anything.
