An effective system to produce smoke solutions from dried plant tissue for seed germination studies1

UNLABELLED PREMISE OF THE STUDY An efficient and inexpensive system was developed to produce smoke solutions from plant material to research the influence of water-soluble compounds from smoke on seed germination. • METHODS AND RESULTS Smoke solutions (300 mL per batch) were produced by burning small quantities (100-200 g) of dried plant material from a range of species in a bee smoker attached by a heater hose to a side-arm flask. The flask was attached to a vacuum water aspirator, to pull the smoke through the water. The entire apparatus was operated in a laboratory fume hood. • CONCLUSIONS Compared with other smoke solution preparation systems, the system described is easy to assemble and operate, inexpensive to build, and effective at producing smoke solutions from desired species in a small indoor space. Quantitative measurements can be made when using this system, allowing for replication of the process.