Prickly paddy melon could help create sustainable cement alternative
March 5, 2024 5:00 AM Subscribe
Weed that costs farmers $100 million a year could help create sustainable cement alternative. Prickly paddy melon is a major problem for the Australian agricultural industry but researchers say it may have potential to reduce soil erosion and offset the construction industry's large carbon footprint.
Some of this seems pretty promising, but… if a problem with the plant is that it’s invasive, turning it into a commercial crop will tend to spread it, right? It’s seems like a double-edged sort of thing.
I agree. The researchers' thinking, however, is that prevalence would be reduced through harvesting the melons where they are already growing as weeds:
"Not only have we found a natural alternative to other commercial enzymes, but we could solve a very expensive problem for the agricultural industry by harvesting these weeds, reducing the availability of seeds for spreading, preserving biodiversity and growing paddy melon as a commercial crop," Professor Rahman said.
But I suspect that unless the price per melon was high enough to get people out picking them, the most cost-effective way to produce them is indeed going to be industrial agricultural production, leaving the existing weeds untouched and instead planting large fields of them. And, you could get into the same situation like we have with feral hogs, where people deliberately introduce them to new areas to create hunting opportunities.
I'm not sure how noxious weeds are regulated in Australia. But if it works similar to how weeds are regulated here, if the plant is on a state noxious weed list you are required to control it, so there would need to be a consultation process with the state agriculture department about planting a noxious weed as a commercial crop. (Versus going out and harvesting it where you find it, which is A-ok as a type of control.)
posted by Dip Flash at 6:13 AM on March 5 [1 favorite]
I agree. The researchers' thinking, however, is that prevalence would be reduced through harvesting the melons where they are already growing as weeds:
"Not only have we found a natural alternative to other commercial enzymes, but we could solve a very expensive problem for the agricultural industry by harvesting these weeds, reducing the availability of seeds for spreading, preserving biodiversity and growing paddy melon as a commercial crop," Professor Rahman said.
But I suspect that unless the price per melon was high enough to get people out picking them, the most cost-effective way to produce them is indeed going to be industrial agricultural production, leaving the existing weeds untouched and instead planting large fields of them. And, you could get into the same situation like we have with feral hogs, where people deliberately introduce them to new areas to create hunting opportunities.
I'm not sure how noxious weeds are regulated in Australia. But if it works similar to how weeds are regulated here, if the plant is on a state noxious weed list you are required to control it, so there would need to be a consultation process with the state agriculture department about planting a noxious weed as a commercial crop. (Versus going out and harvesting it where you find it, which is A-ok as a type of control.)
posted by Dip Flash at 6:13 AM on March 5 [1 favorite]
We got english ivy and kudzu to stop erosion. We should have let things erode.
posted by kjs3 at 6:15 AM on March 5
posted by kjs3 at 6:15 AM on March 5
We got english ivy and kudzu to stop erosion. We should have let things erode.
That's also why knotweed is an issue in the western US, and why invasive willows are an issue in Australia, too. But in this research, they are proposing to use an extract from the melons to create a soil binder or tackifier, which is then sprayed on the soil; this would not result in the spread of the plant.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:36 AM on March 5 [2 favorites]
That's also why knotweed is an issue in the western US, and why invasive willows are an issue in Australia, too. But in this research, they are proposing to use an extract from the melons to create a soil binder or tackifier, which is then sprayed on the soil; this would not result in the spread of the plant.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:36 AM on March 5 [2 favorites]
The article is light on this, but it looks like the prickly paddy melon is toxic to cattle as well, which is another issue (although protecting one commercial invasive species from another begins to sound like the worst version of “I knew an old lady” ever).
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:07 AM on March 5 [3 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:07 AM on March 5 [3 favorites]
Maybe it's because I'm still in early mode, but I'm having a hard time understanding what's going on here. In my world, "cement" is the ingredient in concrete which binds the rocks, of which it primarily consists, together. So they extract an enzyme from these melons which... is used how, exactly?
posted by The Half Language Plant at 7:48 AM on March 5 [1 favorite]
posted by The Half Language Plant at 7:48 AM on March 5 [1 favorite]
It's a sticky substance to stabilize the soil. We use something like it here to stabilize decomposed granite in xeriscaping. It just kind of glues it down.
posted by snsranch at 8:07 AM on March 5 [2 favorites]
posted by snsranch at 8:07 AM on March 5 [2 favorites]
They are proposing two separate uses for the melon extract. One is for use in "bio-cement" which sounds from the article like something that is in research but not yet industrial production, and the other is as a soil tackifier, which sounds like something that they could more quickly bring to industrial production since there are already a bunch of bio-polymer soil binders on the market.
How realistic it all is, I can't tell from the article, but they are right in their underlying observation that the best way to convert a species from prevalent to endangered is to find a commercial use for it.
posted by Dip Flash at 8:20 AM on March 5 [1 favorite]
How realistic it all is, I can't tell from the article, but they are right in their underlying observation that the best way to convert a species from prevalent to endangered is to find a commercial use for it.
posted by Dip Flash at 8:20 AM on March 5 [1 favorite]
Ah, so somebody somewhere figured out they could make a hellalotta money out of this weed and screw what happens when it gets away from them. Got it.
posted by BlueHorse at 8:33 AM on March 5 [1 favorite]
posted by BlueHorse at 8:33 AM on March 5 [1 favorite]
Also, "Prickly" Paddy Melon sounds like the name of a blues singer.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:00 AM on March 5 [2 favorites]
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:00 AM on March 5 [2 favorites]
Also, "Prickly" Paddy Melon sounds like the name of a blues singer.
From the post text, I 100% thought Prickly Paddy Melon was an expensive new variety of cannabis until halfway through the second sentence.
posted by gurple at 9:03 AM on March 5 [5 favorites]
From the post text, I 100% thought Prickly Paddy Melon was an expensive new variety of cannabis until halfway through the second sentence.
posted by gurple at 9:03 AM on March 5 [5 favorites]
and screw what happens when it gets away from them.
Prickly paddy melon is naturalized in all states and territories of Australia. That horse has
well and truly bolted.
Personally, I prefer these pademelons.
posted by zamboni at 9:22 AM on March 5 [5 favorites]
Prickly paddy melon is naturalized in all states and territories of Australia. That horse has
well and truly bolted.
Personally, I prefer these pademelons.
posted by zamboni at 9:22 AM on March 5 [5 favorites]
Also, "Prickly" Paddy Melon sounds like the name of a blues singer.
Sissaretta Jones performed under the name “The Black Patti” in the late 19th and early 20th C and was one of the most successful Black performers in the US at the time, so you’re partly on track….
posted by GenjiandProust at 9:38 AM on March 5
Sissaretta Jones performed under the name “The Black Patti” in the late 19th and early 20th C and was one of the most successful Black performers in the US at the time, so you’re partly on track….
posted by GenjiandProust at 9:38 AM on March 5
Also, "Prickly" Paddy Melon sounds like the name of a blues singer.
Or: Prickly "Paddy" Melon, since if my birthname was "Prickly" I'd want a nickname ASAP.
posted by Dip Flash at 9:50 AM on March 5
Or: Prickly "Paddy" Melon, since if my birthname was "Prickly" I'd want a nickname ASAP.
posted by Dip Flash at 9:50 AM on March 5
this would not result in the spread of the plant
They have to grow the plant to get the goo. A lot of it. Outdoors to do economically. Your certainty that this is not a risk is quaint.
posted by kjs3 at 10:10 AM on March 5 [1 favorite]
They have to grow the plant to get the goo. A lot of it. Outdoors to do economically. Your certainty that this is not a risk is quaint.
posted by kjs3 at 10:10 AM on March 5 [1 favorite]
They have to grow the plant to get the goo. A lot of it. Outdoors to do economically. Your certainty that this is not a risk is quaint.
Ah MetaFilter, never miss a chance for a passive aggressive jab like "quaint." I made that exact point, about how increased demand is going to lead to increased planting and spread of the weed, in my very first comment. The comment you quoted was just clarifying that spraying it as tackifier won't in itself spread the plant; I had thought a previous comment was saying that but re-reading, I think I misread that comment.
posted by Dip Flash at 10:30 AM on March 5 [2 favorites]
Ah MetaFilter, never miss a chance for a passive aggressive jab like "quaint." I made that exact point, about how increased demand is going to lead to increased planting and spread of the weed, in my very first comment. The comment you quoted was just clarifying that spraying it as tackifier won't in itself spread the plant; I had thought a previous comment was saying that but re-reading, I think I misread that comment.
posted by Dip Flash at 10:30 AM on March 5 [2 favorites]
Mod note: One comment removed. Let's avoid 1-on-1 discussions in the thread.
posted by loup (staff) at 12:22 PM on March 5
posted by loup (staff) at 12:22 PM on March 5
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posted by GenjiandProust at 5:53 AM on March 5 [6 favorites]