'Messenger' - increased yields? Yes!! (long)

16 years ago

Hi to all,

Mentioned as an aside in a previous post "Your favorite hybrid tomato" by tumble_weed, I said I'd begin a separate thread about the product Messenger. Let me make it clear at the outset....I'm in no way promoting the product nor associated with it. I just grow tomatoes and other stuff. O.K., most of the other "stuff" belongs to my dear wife. ~grin~ When I say I'm not "promoting", I have to think about that...I guess I am, for I'm sold and just want to share this with you.

For more than a year Ralph Snodsmith, host of the radio program "Garden Hotline", has been singing the praises of a product called Messenger for promoting plant health and increased production on ALL plants....veggies, and flowering plants alike. Late last winter, I decided to try it and actually ordered a package. To be brief, results have been phenomenal!

Messenger is a harpin protein, and was developed by Cornell University for commercial distribution. It's now marketed by Eden Biosciences Corp. It supposedly works by making the plant think it's being attacked by disease, thereby triggering the natural defenses of the plant...even tho' no attack is actually taking place. The result is vigorous growth of both foliage and flowering/fruit. It DOES!

I've been growing tomatoes for over 35 years and, to the possible dismay of those interested only in heirlooms, have settled on Supersonic tomatoes a few years ago (the reasons are irrelevant here). My annual crops have been consistent and great...'til this summer. This year's production with the use of Messenger has been beyond my imagination, despite less than ideal weather here in PA. I use large cages, with each cage additionally supported by (2) two by two posts, but the weight of the tomato crop actually twisted and partially collapsed every cage. When harvesting, I kept rough records of each take. Each plant has produced over 60 lbs. of tomatoes, with more to come if frost holds off a bit longer. This is at least 33% more than I usually get.

So much for tomatoes. When I had extra spray, I used it on my wife's roses and passion flower vines (some others, too) The results were the same as with the tomatoes....much healthier plants, and flowering you wouldn't believe!

Enough now. ~grin~ Again, I offer this just to share this experience. One word of caution...DON'T over buy if you choose to try this. I did, not knowing. I've been in touch with "tumble_weed" since he expressed an interest, and told him the same thing. One package of 3 little foil packets of Messenger will (properly mixed) treat about 18-20 tomato plants for the whole season. Shelf life is supposedly 3 years on unopened packets, so you have a little buffer there if you get too much.

If I've sparked an interest in any of you with this, I'll offer the Eden Bioscience site link below. You might also try www-dot-messenger-dot-info. Please don't smack me if that doesn't work...it's from memory. If it works, it's worth a read.

Cordially submitted,

Hal (in beautiful central PA)

Here is a link that might be useful: Eden Biosciences

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Comments (7)

trudi_d
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I love Messenger. It works like a charm at combating disease, it's not a cure all but it does seem to minimalize the progression. It's only drawback is the high price, if you've got a small garden it doesn't hurt the wallet too much.
tomatogreenthumb
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Since I spray with a 21 gallon hose end sprayer, I think I will just put out a few extra plants rather than a few hundred extra dollars. lol
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tumble_weed
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
many of posts that I have seen here and on other garden forums have good things to say about Messenger

I dont understand how Messenger works, but it sounds interesting to me, I will give it a try next season
carolyn137
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hal, when you used Messenger did you treat half of your plants of one variety and not the other half of the same variety so you had a control and could really see what differences there were?

I ask for a few reasons.

First, I've seen widely ranging comments about Messenger, as well as Spinosad and some of the other newer products.

Second, if harpin induces a general defensive response I'm wondering how that translates out to higher yields unless you're saying that you see no or lesser foliage diseases, however, fruit set usually occurs before those diseases set in.

Thirdly, harpin was discovered by a grad student at Cornell and was part of a project in basic science, meaning, it wasn't initially pursued as a commercial product. I'm a Cornell grad and so would like to see this product do well since no doubt the contract with Eden Sciences has a monetary kickback clause to Cornell. LOL

Carolyn
hercules
Original Author
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Dr. Carolyn,

My alma mater, PSU, would kick butt against Cornell! Oh, wait....that's not what you asked. I'm still in football mode from yesterday's win over Iowa! Sorry. ~grin~

Carolyn, my experience with this harpin protein has been anything but "scientific". I've been growing veggies for a very long time, and just know what normal is for me...even when Mother Nature throws us curves during growing season. With that said, here's what I did to evaluate the benefit that Messenger provided.

Tomatoes (all Supersonic): I treated each plant on a regular schedule of misting them (with Messenger) every three weeks...except one plant. The results were, to me, stark. These were all in the same garden plot, and watered and fertilized equally as is my routine as conditions dictate. The one untreated plant produced as I would have expected, with the others all FAR outdoing that one. A secondary observation was one of resistance to disease. We, in this part of PA, were subjected to an extremely wet August..like triple the usual rainfall. As a result, tomato plants of those all over this area died from disease early..they were constantly wet during this period. Mine did not, except for the untreated one...it's toast, but the rest are still thriving today and I'm still harvesting here in October. Granted, Mother Nature has spared us frost so far, but we'll take that, too! ~grin~ My plants suffered from some of that August weather too, but were apparently much stronger against the attack of blight.

I did roughly the same on the "Bell Boy" peppers...treated all but one plant in the same plot. Without going to detail like above....same results on production increase, without the comments on disease. I have no disease problems with my annual crop of peppers.

One last example of what I've seen this season...my dear wife's roses. I misted each of them with Messenger...except one, and didn't tell her. Talk about contrast in flowering and disease....it again was easy to spot the one I skipped. I don't think I'm going to "fess up" at this point. ~grin~

Ha! Contrary to my teasing you on Cornell, my b-i-l is a grad, and currently a professor at Lycoming. One son (his)is the concert master with the San Diego Symphony, the other with the St. Louis Symphony. (sorry - totally off topic to non-Cornell grads) ~smile~

Hal
tumble_weed
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Cornell has granted a license to Eden Sciences but was wondering if Cornell has endorsed Messenger as being safe and effective for its popular use, or for any other purpose

has any independent peer group (trade, university or government) endorsed Messenger

just wondering
tumble_weed
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
meant to include the generic "harpin protein" as well as the proprietary Messenger product

'Messenger' - increased yields? Yes!! (long)

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trudi_d

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'Messenger' - increased yields? Yes!! (long)

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