Loading...
Please wait, while we are loading the content...
Similar Documents
The water hyacinth
| Content Provider | NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
|---|---|
| Author | Wolverton, Bill C. |
| Organization | The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) |
| Copyright Year | 1977 |
| Abstract | The water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is the fastest growing plant known to man. Although once known only in South America, in Venezuela in particular, it has now been spread to approximately 50 countries around the globe due to an alluring structure consisting of a floating rosette of green leaves adorned by delicate white or lavender flowers. Beauty was soon overridden by problems, as hyacinths made their way into drainage canals, swamps, streams and bayous, hampering many waterways of the south-eastern USA. In its natural South American environment, insects and viruses help to regulate its explosive growth rate and thus minimize any adverse effects to the environment. In other parts of the world, where man has introduced this plant, explosive growth rates have occurred in the absence of natural control vectors. Efforts to eradicate or, at least, to restrain its growth have been underway for some 80 years now, and thus far have been virtually unsuccessful. The water hyacinth persists with vigor in every region it has ever invaded. This article shows the benefits that can be reaped from the highly prolific water hyacinth if put to work under controlled conditions. In essence, the water hyacinth has taken on a whole new image as a result of studies at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's National Space Technology Laboratories (NSTL) in Mississippi, USA. It has been transformed from prolific pest to potential provider. Topics addressed are: (1) 500 tonnes per hectare; (2) a water purifier; (3) food, feed, and fertilizer; and (4) the promise of aquaculture. |
| File Size | 312633 |
| File Format | |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://www.archive.org/details/nasa_techdoc_19930073056 |
| Archival Resource Key | ark:/13960/t6vx1485j |
| Language | English |
| Publisher Date | 1977-01-01 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Aerodynamic Characteristics Supersonic Wind Tunnels Aircraft Configurations Aircraft Models Delta Wings F-16 Aircraft Mach Number Wind Tunnel Models Wind Tunnel Tests Controllability Ntrs Nasa Technical Reports Server (ntrs) Nasa Technical Reports Server Aerodynamics Aircraft Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Aeronautic Space Science |
| Content Type | Text |
