Want shorter flowers? Just add liquor

Horticulturist finds alcohol stunts plants' growth, but blossoms stay big

Updated: 2:42 p.m. ET April 6, 2006

ITHACA, N.Y. - For home gardeners who don't want their flowers to tip over, a Cornell University horticulturist thinks he has the answer: Get the flowers a little tipsy with some hard liquor.

Giving some plants diluted alcohol — whiskey, vodka, gin or tequila — stunts the growth of a plant's leaves and stems but doesn't affect the blossoms, said William Miller, director of Cornell's Flower Bulb Research Program.

Miller reported his findings in the April issue of HortTechnology, a peer-reviewed journal of horticulture.

"I've heard of using alcohol for lots of things ... but never for dwarfing plants," said Charlie Nardozzi, a senior horticulturist with the National Gardening Association, a Vermont-based organization that promotes plant-based education.

"It sounded weird when I first heard about it, but our members say it works. I'm going to try it next year, just for curiosity," Nardozzi added.

Miller's study focused on paperwhite narcissus and other daffodils but he's also had promising results with tulips.

"I think with a little jiggering — no pun intended — the method will work for tulips, though I think it will not be as simple as with paperwhites," he said.

Miller began his investigation last year after receiving a call from The New York Times about a reader who had written to the garden editor claiming that gin had prevented some paperwhite narcissi from growing too tall and floppy and asked if it was because of some "essential oil" in the gin.

Intrigued that diluted alcohol might act as a growth retardant, Miller began conducting experiments with ethanol. Because hard liquor is easier for consumers to obtain, he switched to alcohol and began trying different kinds, including dry gin, unflavored vodka, whiskey, white rum, gold tequila, mint schnapps, red and white wine and pale lager beer, on paperwhites.

The beer and wine did not work, likely because of their sugar content, he said.

"While solutions greater than 10 percent alcohol were toxic, solutions between 4 and 6 percent alcohol stunted the paperwhites effectively," said Miller. "When the liquor is properly used, the paperwhites we tested were stunted by 30 to 50 percent, but their flowers were as large, fragrant and long-lasting as usual."

Any economic benefits, at least directly, are slight, he said. Commercial horticulturists already have other growth-control methods for large-scale production. But for home gardeners, the gain is in terms of product quality. According to the NGA, 83 percent of all U.S. households participate in some type of indoor or outdoor gardening activity.

Miller, however, said he could envision profitable marketing schemes emerging from the study.

"Maybe, instead of charging $1 for a bulb. You can market that $1 bulb with a mini bottle of Tanqueray, insert a little card with some history and instructions, put it in a fancy package and charge $10 for it."

Miller isn't sure why the alcohol stunts plant growth but he has three theories that he is exploring.

Growth is caused when plant cells absorb water and expand. The alcohol could be injuring the plant roots, preventing the roots from absorbing the water as efficiently.
When alcohol is mixed with the water, the plant has to use more of its growing energy to extract the water from the solution.
The plant uses its growing energy to rid itself of the alcohol it has absorbed.

Miller will be working this spring to see if a little booze works for amaryllis and such vegetables as tomatoes and peppers.

Imagine, he joked, you may be able to grow your own Bloody Mary

Alcohol has a ph of 4.1 and low ion concentration

How To Make A Fertile Polyploid Hybrid

To produce a tetraploid plant, the alkaloid colchicine is applied to the terminal bud of a branch. All the cells in the developing branch will be tetraploid (4n) with four sets of chromosomes. This includes cells of the stem, leaves, flowers and fruit. Gametes (egg and sperm) produced by a flower on this tetraploid branch will be diploid (2n) with two sets of chromosomes. A flower on the normal diploid (2n) branch will produce haploid (n) gametes containing one set of chromosomes.

Stages of mitosis in the formation of tetraploid cells. The original mother cell is diploid (2n). During anaphase the chromatids separate and move to opposite ends of the cell. Colchicine causes the dissolution (depolymerization) of protein microtubules which make up the mitotic spindle in dividing cells. This leaves the cell with twice as many single chromosomes (four sets rather than two). When this cell divides, each of the two daughter cells will have fours sets of chromosomes, a total of eight chomosomes per cell. [Note: Spindle poisons such as colchicine are used to prevent tumor cells from dividing in certain chemotherapy treatments.]

Lily Family (Liliaceae)

The bulblike corm of autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale), a member of the lily family (Liliaceae), contains colchicine, a 3-ring amine alkaloid. Like the anticancer indole alkaloids, vinblastine and vincristine, it is a spindle poison causing depolymerization of mitotic spindles into tubulin subunits. This effectively stops the tumor cells from dividing, thus causing remission of the cancer. Because colchicine can stop plant cells from dividing after the chromatids have separated during anaphase of mitosis, it is a powerful inducer of polyploidy. Seeds and meristematic buds can be treated with colchicine, and the cells inside become polyploid with multiple sets of chromosomes (more than the diploid number). Polyploidy in plants has some tremendous commercial applications because odd polyploids (such as 3n triploids) are sterile and seedless. Polyploid plants (such as 4n tetraploids) typically produce larger flowers and fruits. In fact, many of the fruits and vegetables sold at supermarkets are polyploid varieties. Colchicine has another medical use for people because it reduces the inflammation and pain of gout.

Cell Division (Mitosis) In Eukaryotic Cells

1. Interphase: The cell is not dividing at this time period. The nucleus is composed of dark staining material called chromatin, a term that applies to all of the chromosomes collectively. At this stage the chromosomes are tenuous (threadlike) and are not visible as distinct bodies. A nucleolus is clearly visible inside the nucleus. This body is composed of ribosomal RNA and is the site of protein synthesis within the cell. Prior to cell division, two pairs of protein bodies called centrioles are present in the cytoplasm at one end of the cell. Centrioles are not typically present in plant cells.

2. Prophase: One of the centrioles moves to the opposite end of the cell. The opposite ends of the cell are called poles, like the poles of the earth. Each centriole now consists of a pair of protein bodies surrounded by radiating strands of protein called the aster. Plant cells typically do not have the aster or centrioles. Also the nuclear membrane disintegrates and the chromosomes shorten and thicken so that they are visible as distinct rod-shaped bodies. At this time each chromosome is doubled and consists of two chromatids. Each chromatid is essentially composed of a greatly coiled DNA molecule and protein. The chromatids (DNA molecules) are attached in a region known as the centromere. In these greatly oversimplified illustrations, the centromere is shown as a black dot.
Single chromosomes and doubled chromosomes (chromosome doublets). Beginning with prophase, the chromosomes appear as doublets. The clear pink doublets represent a set of maternal doubled chromosomes originally from the mother's egg. The striped blue doublets represent a set of paternal doubled chromosomes originally from the father's sperm. Diploid (2n) organisms such as humans have two sets of chromosomes, one haploid (n) set from the father and one haploid (n) set from the mother. Fertilization of the two haploid sex cells (egg and sperm) results in a diploid zygote (n + n = 2n). Homologous pairs of doublets are represented by one large pink and one large blue doubled chromosome of matching size, and one small pink and one small blue doublet of matching size. In this diagram there are two pairs of homologous chromosome doublets. In a human cell during prophase there are 23 pairs of homologous chromosome doublets, a total of 46 doublets and 92 chromatids. After the chromatids separate during anaphase and the cell divides during telophase, the resulting daughter cells have 23 pairs of single chromosomes, a total of 46. The single chromosomes become doubled again during the S-phase of interphase, prior to the onset of prophase.
One chromatid of this eukaryotic chromosome doublet is unravelled, showing a twisted DNA molecule wrapped around beads of histone protein. Each protein bead contains about 200 base pairs on its surface, while the strand between consists of about 50 base pairs. Each protein bead with DNA on its surface is called a nucleosome.

3. Metaphase: The chromosome doublets become arranged in the central region of the cell known as the equator. They do not necessarily line up single file as the drawing shows. Protein threads called the spindle connect the centromere region of each chromosome doublet with the centrioles at the poles of the cells.

4. Anaphase: The chromatids separate from each other at the centromere region and the single chromosomes move to opposite ends (poles) of the cell. When the chromatids separate from each other they are no longer called chromatids. They are now referred to as single chromosomes. The single chromosomes are actually being pulled to opposite ends of the cell as the spindle fibers shorten.
The corms of autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale), a member of the lily family (Liliaceae), contain the alkaloid colchicine, a spindle poison causing depolymerization of mitotic spindles into tubulin subunits. This essentially dissolves the spindle and stops the cell from completing its mitotic division. Because colchicine can stop plant cells from dividing after the chromatids have separated during anaphase of mitosis, it is a powerful inducer of polyploidy. Seeds and meristematic buds can be treated with colchicine, and the cells inside become polyploid with multiple sets of chromosomes (more than the diploid number). Polyploidy in plants has some tremendous commercial applications because odd polyploids (such as 3n triploids) are sterile and seedless. Polyploid plants (such as 4n tetraploids) typically produce larger flowers and fruits. In fact, many of the fruits and vegetables sold at supermarkets are polyploid varieties. Colchicine has another medical use for people because it reduces the inflammation and pain of gout. It is also used in cancer chemotherapy to stop tumor cells from dividing, thus causing remission of the cancer.
Two additional alkaloids (vinblastine and vincristine) from the Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) are also potent spindle poisons. These alkaloids have proven to be very effective in chemotherapy treatments for leukemia and Hodgkin's disease (lymph node and spleen cancer). Like colchicine, they cause the dissolution (depolymerization) of protein microtubules which make up the mitotic spindle in dividing cells. This effectively stops the tumor cells from dividing, thus causing remission of the cancer. Before periwinkle alkaloids were used as a treatment there was virtually no hope for patients with Hodgkin's disease. Now there is a 90 percent chance of survival. This is a compelling reason for preserving the diverse flora and fauna in natural ecosystems. Who knows what cures for dreaded diseases are waiting to be discovered in tropical rain forests or other natural habitats.

5. Telophase: The chromosomes at each end of the cell begin to organize into separate nuclei, each surrounded by a nuclear membrane. A cleavage furrow or constriction forms in the center of the cell, gradually getting deeper and deeper until the cell is divided into two separate cells. This cytoplasmic division is referred to as cytokinesis. Cytoplasmic division (cytokinesis) in a plant cell is accomplished by a partition or cell plate rather than a cleavage furrow. The following illustration shows cell plate formation in an onion root tip cell:

6. Interphase: Now we are back to interphase again, but now there are two daughter cells. Each daughter cell is chromosomally identical with the original (mother) cell. They each have a nucleus that contains a nucleolus and chromatin. The centrioles have divided into four protein bodies and the aster has disappeared. During this phase the chromosomes will replicate and become distinct chromosome doublets as each daughter cell enters prophase.
The five major phases of plant mitosis. Unlike animals cells, plant cells do not have centrioles or asters. During telophase, a partition or cell plate divides the cytoplasm rather than a cleavage furrow.

Origin Of Parthenocarpic (Seedless) Fruits

The botanical term parthenocarpy refers to the development of the ovary of a flower into a fruit without fertilization. [The biological term parthenogenesis refers to the development of an egg without fertilization.] Fruits that develop parthenocarpically are typically seedless. Some seedless fruits come from sterile triploid plants, with three sets of chromosomes rather than two. The triploid seeds are obtained by crossing a fertile tetraploid (4n) plant with a diploid (2n) plant. When you buy seedless watermelon seeds, you get two kinds of seeds, one for the fertile diploid plant and one for the sterile triploid. The triploid seeds are larger, and both types of seeds are planted in the same vicinity. Male flowers of the diploid plant provide the pollen which pollinates (but does not fertilize) the sterile triploid plant. The act of pollination induces fruit development without fertilization, thus the triploid watermelon fruits develop parthenocarpically and are seedless. Most bananas purchased at your local supermarket came from sterile triploid hybrids. The fruits developed parthenocarpically and are seedless.

Phytochrome

The plant produces a hormone (phytochrome) beginning at germination. When this chemical builds up to a critical level, the plant changes its mode from vegetative growth to flowering. This chemical is destroyed in the presence of even a few moments of light. During the late spring and early summer there are many more hours of light than darkness and the hormone does not build up to a critical level. However, as the days grow shorter and there are longer periods of uninterrupted darkness, the hormone builds to a critical level. Flowering occurs at different times with different varieties as a result of the adaption of the varieties to the environment.

Growing with sound

Here is my thoughts on growing with sound

I suspect human voice, as in a mother talking to a child, is healthy and nurturing far beyond the message she tells them.

I know different vitamins are built up and broken down at different wavelengths or frequencies of light. I once found a chart showing the different spectrums of vitamin formation, but it is on my crashed pc which I need to get fixed before I can access it.

From previous research I found that the Hz is the opposite of the nanometer

375Nm = 750Hz and 375Hz = 750Nm

Frequency Range of the Human Voice
* Voice range covers 300 Hz to 3500 Hz
* Most energy concentrated below 1000 Hz
http://www.kodachrome.org/salt/sunderst.htm

The visible light spectum consists of pure light between 375 and 750Nm

I would say all you need to do is see the nanometers in which vitamins are build and broken down at then reverse them on the 375-750 relm.

Balance the Hz as a light gives the CRI of the bulb and grow in the dark.

From previous research I found plants need ....and the sun gives

5.3% red light 723.18 nanometers
36.3% blue light 508.7 nanometers
58.3% yellow light 616 nanometers

So in Hz that would be

401.78 Hz at 5.3%
669.9 Hz at 36.3%
508.7 Hz at 58.3% as vitamins can also be built up and broke down at this end of the spherical spectrum that makes up earth.

I do not know how to put that as a wave file but I can almost guaranty results

5.3% x 723.18 = 38.32
36.3% x 508.7 = 184.6
58.3% x 616.0 = 359.1
-------
582.114

582.1 Nm = 5153.6 K (3,000,000/Nm(582.1 in pure light spectrum)=K(5153.6))
Also the suns degree K
Formula has additional steps to get UV or IR from K if the product is not between 375 to 750. Email me if you want me to show you the formula.

5.3% x 401.78 = 21.29
36.3% x 669.9 = 243.17
58.3% x 508.7 = 296.57
---------
561.04 Hz is the freq it will measure at ( keep in mind green is 562.47 nanometers) The average Nm isonly as important as the CRI ratio that equal it.

Regarding UV light and plant growth

As far as saying, "UV-b cannot be converted to the visible spectrum karmaxul, the CRI is a complete waste of time when it comes to uv."

The rainbow goes in cycles if you will and the sun in our gravity produces light from 375 Nm to 750Nm which is the pure light spectrum.

The UV spectrum goes from 0 - 375 Nm

The sun gives
5.3% red light 723.18 nanometers
36.3% blue light 508.7 nanometers
58.3% yellow light 616 nanometers

5.3% x 723.18 = 38.32
36.3% x 508.7 = 184.6
58.3% x 616.0 = 359.1
(38.32 + 184.6 + 359.1 = 582)

582.1 Nm = 5153.6 K (3,000,000/Nm(582.1 in pure light spectrum)=K(5153.6))
Also the suns degree K

“When considering the effect of UV radiation on human health and the environment, the range of UV wavelengths is often subdivided into UVA (380–315 nm), also called Long Wave or "blacklight"; UVB (315–280 nm), also called Medium Wave; and UVC (< 280 nm), also called Short Wave or "germicidal". “
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraviolet

750 (Nm) End of pure light / beginning of Infrared spectrum
723 Red
669 Orange
616 Yellow
562 Green
508 Blue
455 Indigo
401 Violet
375 (Nm) End of pure light / beginning of Ultra violet spectrum

UV colors not visible to human eye:
375 (Nm) End of pure light / beginning of Ultra violet spectrum
348 UV Red
294 UV Orange
241 UV Yellow
187 UV Green
134 UV Blue
80 UV Indigo
27 UV Violet
0 (Nm) End of UV

UV is radiation as it is not stable in the gravity of the earth. The gravity of the earth dictates the length of the light cycles which is why they are 375 space gaps.

Notice that UV Green is 187 Nm. This is also the exact frequency which we produce ozone at. It is actually exactly 187.5 but we can call it 187 just to make it a bit easier.

Plants use again
5.3% red light 723.18 nanometers
36.3% blue light 508.7 nanometers
58.3% yellow light 616 nanometers

Which if converted into the UV realm is:
5.3% UV red light 348 nanometers
36.3% UV blue light 134 nanometers
58.3% UV yellow light 241 nanometers

Light frequency under 187.5 is straight up deadly.

Plants can use a bit of 200 - 375 Nm but not much.
The UV-B is really just a cheap but some what usable version of yellow light of the pure non radioactive spectrum which plants use the most of anyways.

Plant odors

Nutrition is the main way to up the plants natural odor. Amino acids are used in burning fats and would decrease smell. (Not amino acids from bacterial breakdown as that is a animal source and although 80% of host produced amino acids are toxic to an extent the animals use plant amino acids and vice versa as food which produces fat or oils that contain smell.) Healthier the plant, stronger the smell.

Volatile oils:
1). Another name for essential oils, volatile oils are responsible for producing the aroma in certain plants and flowers. Volatile oils stimulate the tissue they come in contact with and can arouse or soothe, depending on their source and concentration.
2). These are easily evaporated terpene derivitives found in plants which impart taste and aroma

Terpene:
1). Naturally occurring hydrocarbons, emitted by many trees and plants. They mostly have very strong smells and are responsible for the aromas of the vegetation in which they are found. Terpenes can be thought of as being built from units of isoprene, C 5 H 8 , joined together into chains and rings. Monoterpenes, formula C 10 H 16 , constitute the major emissions from conifers and fruit trees. Sesquiterpenes, formula C 15 H 24 , are commonly found in citrus trees.
2). Monoterpenes and triterpenes comprise the terpenes under investigation. Most of the attention is focused on two monoterpenes: limonene and perillyl alcohol)

Veg. Lighting

Here is why I say 24/7
During the dark cycle the plants release hormones. As the seasons progress the hormone levels get higher and higher during the night and are broken down during the day. The plants seem to get burned out after a few years on this regime. Zandor is one of the most knowledgable annual growers around althought he uses 18/6 and chemicals. His mothers last five years in veg. untill they die. Organically feed mothers on 24/0 can last decades. It is either the chemicals or the 18/6 that is doing it and really who is to say untill it is tested. Since no growth is done during the night and hormones are released which is how the plant knows when to flower, I say just keep it growing and it has always worked for me. With a larger setup you could save a bit of power running a 18/6 but I would rather trick my plants into thinking it is still there first day of life.
When regenerating a plant, as many leaves as possible are kept on the plant and it is put back into 24 light. After the hormones are used up the plant begins veg growth again after about 1.5 or 2 weeks. I have never tryed to regenerate under 18/6 so I can not tell you how it works.

Standard H.P.S. Bulbs

High Pressure Sodium bulbs are red/orange in the spectrum. They are the quickest lamps available for indoor growing regarding flowering of plants. This type of light promotes flowering/budding in plants do to the higher yellow light which breaks down cloroplasts. It is ideal for indoor greenhouses and commercial growing applications when speed out ways health in terms of genetic stablity..

1000w HPS Bulb (140,000 Lumens)
600w HPS Bulb (92,000 Lumens)
430w HPS Bulb (53,000 Lumens)
400w HPS Bulb (50,000 Lumens)
250w HPS Bulb (28,500 Lumens)
150w HPS Bulb (16,000 Lumens)
100w HPS Bulb (9,500 Lumens)

Enhanced Spectrum H.P.S. Bulbs

Enhanced Spectrum High Pressure Sodium bulbs are color shifted to produce more blue than a standard HPS bulb. This makes them great for "one bulb grows all" lighting. They have great red spectrum making them a good flowering bulb, and additional blue spectrum making them an effective vegetative growth bulb, keeping the stems from elongating which can happen with standard HPS bulbs during vegetative growth as the plants reach in hopes of finding a better spectrum..

1000w HPS Hortilux Bulb (145,000 Lumens)
600w HPS Hortilux Bulb (85,000 Lumens)
600w HPS GroLux Bulb (90,000 Lumens)
600w HPS Plantastar Bulb (87,000 Lumens)
430w HPS Hortilux Bulb (58,000 Lumens)
400w HPS Hortilux Bulb (55,000 Lumens)
400w HPS GroLux Bulb (58,000 Lumens)
400w HPS Plantastar Bulb (55,000 Lumens)
270w HPS Super Agro Bulb (29,500 Lumens)
160w HPS Super Agro Bulb (17,500 Lumens)

Nutrient Content of Organic Materials
	Percentage by Weight
Material	N	P₂O₅	K₂O	Ca	Mg	S	Cl
Apple pomace	0.2	—	0.2	—	—	—	—
Blood (dried)	12 to 15	3.0	—	0.3	—	—	0.6
Bone meal (raw)	3.5	22.0	—	22.0	0.6	0.2	0.2
Bone meal (steamed)	2.0	28.0	0.2	23.0	0.3	0.1	—
Brewers grains (wet)	0.9	0.5	—	—	—	—	—
Common crab waste	2.0	3.6	0.2	—	—	—	—
Compost (garden)	varies with components and amendments
Cotton waste from factory	1.3	0.4	0.4	—	—	—	—
Cottonseed hull ash	0	—	27.0	—	—	—	—
Cottonseed meal	6 to 7	2.5	1.5	0.4	0.9	0.2	—
Cotton motes	2.0	0.5	3.0	4.0	0.7	0.6	—
Cowpea forage	0.4	0.1	0.4
Dog manure	2.0	10.0	0.3	—	—	—	—
Eggs	2.2	0.4	0.2	—	—	—	—
Egg shells (burned)	—	0.4	0.3	—	—	—	—
Egg shells	1.2	0.4	0.2	—	—	—	—
Feathers	15.3	—	—	—	—	—	—
Fermentation sludges	3.5	0.5	0.1	7.3	0.1	—	—
Fish scrap (acidulated)	5.7	3.0	—	6.1	0.3	0.2	0.5
Fish scrap (dried)	9.5	6.0	—	6.1	0.3	0.2	1.5
Fly ash: coal wood	0.3 0.1	— 0.6	0.1 10.0	0.48 9.8	— 0.66	— —	— —
Frittercake: enzyme production citric acid production	— —	2.2 2.0	0.5 0.3	— —	— 5.2	— —	— —
Garbage tankage	2.5	1.5	1.0	3.2	0.3	0.4	1.3
Greensand	—	1 to 2	5.0	—	—	—	—
Grape skins (ash)	—	3.6	31.0	—	—	—	—
Hair	12 to 16	—	—	—	—	—	—
Hay Legume Grass	3.0 1.5	1.0 0.5	2.4 1.9	1.2 0.8	0.2 0.2	0.3 0.2	— —
Leather (acidulated)	—	7 to 8	—	—	—	—	—
Leather (ground)	10 to 12	—	—	—	—	—	—
Leather scrap (ash)	—	2	0.4	—	—	—	—
Milk	0.5	0.3	0.2	—	—	—	—
Oak leves	0.8	0.4	0.2	—	—	—	—
Peanut hull meal	1.2	0.5	0.8	—	—	—	—
Peanut meal	7.2	1.5	1.2	0.4	0.3	0.6	0.1
Peat/muck	2.7	—	—	0.7	0.3	1.0	0.1
Pine needles	0.5	0.1	—	—	—	—	—
Poultry processing: DAF sludge	8.0	1.8	0.3	—	—	—	—
Potato tubers	0.4	0.2	0.5	—	—	—	—
Potato, leaves & stalks	—	0.6	0.2	0.4	—	—	—
Potato skins, raw ash	—	—	5.2	27.5	—	—	—
Sawdust	0.2	—	0.2	—	—	—	—
Sea marsh hay	1.1	0.2	0.8	—	—	—	—
Seaweed (dried)	0.7	0.8	5.0	—	—	—	—
Sewage sludge (municipal)	2.6	3.7	0.2	1.3	0.2	—	—
Shrimp heads	7.8	4.2	—	—	—	—	—
Shrimp waste	2.9	10	—	—	—	—	—
Siftings from oyster shell mound	0.4	10.4	0.1	—	—	—	—
Soot from chimney flues	—	0.5 to 11	—	1.0	0.4	—	—
Soybean meal	7.0	1.2	1.5	0.4	0.3	0.2	—
Spanish moss	0.6	0.1	0.6	—	—	—	—
Spent brewery yeast	—	7.0	0.4	0.3	0.04	0.03	—
String bean strings & stems (ash)	—	5.0	18.0	—	—	—	—
Sweetpotato skins boiled (ash)	—	3.29	13.9	—	—	—	—
Sweetpotatoes	0.2	0.1	0.5	—	—	—	—
Tankage	7.0	1.5	3 to 10	—	—	—	—
Textile sludges	2.8	2.1	0.2	0.5	0.2	—	—
Wood ashes	0.0	2.0	6.0	20.0	1.0	—	—
Wood processing wastes	—	0.4	0.2	0.1	1.1	0.2	—
Tobacco leaves	4.0	0.5	6.0	—	—	—	—
Tobacco stalks	3.7	0.6	4.5	—	—	—	—
Tobacco stems	2.5	0.9	7.0	—	—	—	—
Tomatoes, fruit	0.2	0.1	0.4	—	—	—	—
Tomato leaves	0.4	0.1	0.4	—	—	—	—
Note: Approximate values are given. Have materials analyzed for nutrient content before using.

Nutrient Content of Manures
Type	TKN	P₂O₅	K₂O	Ca	Mg	S
Type	lb/unit wet basis
DAIRY
Fresh (lb/ton)	10	5	8	4	2	1
Paved surface scraped (lb/ton)	10	6	9	5	2	2
Liquid manure (lb/1,000 lb)¹	23	14	21	10	5	3
Lagoon liquid (lb/acre-inch)²	137	77	195	69	35	25
Anaerobic lagoon sludge (lb/acre-inch)²	15	22	8	12	4	4
BEEF
Fresh (lb/ton)	12	7	9	5	2	2
Paved surface scraped (lb/ton)	14	9	13	5	3	2
Unpaved feedlot (lb/ton)	26	16	20	14	6	5
Lagoon liquid (lb/acre-inch)²	83	77	129	24	19	—
Lagoon sludge (lb/1,000 lb)¹	38	51	15	36	5	—
BROILER
Fresh (lb/ton)	26	17	11	10	4	2
House litter (lb/ton)	72	78	46	41	8	15
Stockpiled litter (lb/ton)	36	80	34	54	8	12
DUCK
Fresh (lb/ton)	28	23	17	—	—	—
House litter (lb/ton)	19	17	14	22	3	3
Stockpiled litter (lb/ton)	24	42	22	27	4	6
GOAT
Fresh (lb/ton)	22	12	18	—	—	—
HORSE
Fresh (lb/ton)	12	6	12	11	2	2
LAYERS
Fresh (lb/ton)	26	22	11	41	4	4
Undercage paved (lb/ton)	28	31	20	43	6	7
Deep pit (lb/ton)	38	56	30	86	6	9
Liquid (lb/1,000 lb)¹	62	59	37	35	7	8
Lagoon liquid (lb/acre-inch)²	179	46	266	25	7	52
Lagoon sludge (lb/1,000 lb)¹	26	92	13	71	7	12
RABBIT
Fresh (lb/ton)	24	23	13	19	4	2
SHEEP
Fresh (lb/ton)	21	10	20	14	4	3
Unpaved (lb/ton)	14	11	19	24	7	6
SWINE
Fresh (lb/ton)	12	9	9	8	2	2
Surface scraped (lb/ton)	13	12	9	12	2	2
Liquid manure (lb/1,000 lb)¹	31	22	17	9	3	5
Lagoon liquid (lb/acre-inch)²	136	53	133	25	8	10
Lagoon sludge (lb/1,000 lb)¹	22	49	7	16	4	8
TURKEY
Fresh (lb/ton)	27	25	12	27	2	—
House litter (lb/ton)	52	64	37	35	6	9
Stockpiled litter (lb/ton)	36	72	33	42	7	10
Notes: Approximate nutrient contents are given. Have materials analyzed for nutrient content before using. North Carolina mean waste analysis 1981 to 1990 supplied by J. C. Barker, NCSU Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. ¹Pounds per thousand pounds of manure liquid (slurry). ²Pounds per acre-inch. Estimated total lagoon liquid includes total liquid manure plus average annual lagoon surface rainfall surplus; does not account for seepage.