Posted on 04/29/2008 1:04:35 PM PDT by blam
Watering Tomato Plants With Diluted Seawater Boosts Levels Of Antioxidants
Watering tomato plants with diluted seawater boosts levels of antioxidants, scientists report. (Credit: Courtesy of public-domain-photos.com)
ScienceDaily (Apr. 29, 2008) — Watering tomatoes with diluted seawater can boost their content of disease-fighting antioxidants and may lead to healthier salads, appetizers, and other tomato-based foods, scientists in Italy report.
Besides their use in a variety of ethnic food dishes, tomatoes are one of the most commonly grown home garden vegetables, particularly cherry tomatoes. Scientists have linked tomatoes to several health benefits, including protection against prostate cancer and heart disease. Researchers have known for years that seawater does not stimulate the growth of tomatoes, but scientists know little about its effects on the nutritional content of the vegetables.
In the new study, Riccardo Izzo and colleagues grew cherry tomatoes in both freshwater and in a dilute solution of 12 percent seawater. They found that ripe tomatoes grown in the salty water showed higher levels of vitamin C, vitamin E, dihydrolipoic acid, and chlorogenic acid. All of these substances are antioxidants that appear to fight heart disease, cancer, aging, and other conditions. Using saltwater to irrigate tomato crops also appears to be a promising alternative to freshwater irrigation, especially in the wake of water shortages in some parts of the world, the researchers note.
The article "Irrigation with Diluted Seawater Improves the Nutritional Value of Cherry Tomatoes" is scheduled for the May 14 issue of ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Adapted from materials provided by American Chemical Society, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
I wonder if the mixture used to make water for salt water aquariums would do the same thing set at a 12% level?
Any kind of water I’ve used, iron water, lime water, softened water, etc., eventually seems to screw up the soil and growth of the plant.
It might still give the boost to the tomatoes they are talking about because of the minerals in it. With all the trace mineral fertilizers out there I myself wouldn’t risk mineraled or salt water destroying the soil.
We ship for free...anywhere.
I'd like to send some to Admunsen-Scott Research Station, please.
“We ship for free...anywhere. I’d like to send some to Admunsen-Scott Research Station, please.”
I wonder how much Snow Cats are selling for these days? It’s pretty clear these guys are going to have to invest in some additional capital items to fill your request!
You GOT that RIGHT....we were eating ours in December, still....they ripen in a cool garage for months...
I can do better than that. Skip the diluted sea water and watch your tomatoes grow while drinking a pint of Guinness Stout. Much higher in antioxidants.
At some point, that just becomes taunting...
It’s easy....just hang the plants up in the garage (somewhere it doesn’t freeze) before a freeze happens outside.....
We have enough of sea water to irrigate the desert.
Yep.
Ain't nothing better'n home-growed tomaters.
Eat 'em with grits,
Eat 'em with gravy.
Eat 'em with beans,
Pinto and Navy.
from April.
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