The Japanese carmaker is developing unique trees to absorb car emissions
japan' s largest carmakers, Toyota Motor Corp, has a team of 40 researchers working to come up with plant varieties that can absorb some of the toxic gases emitted by cars. This is Toyota's attempt at dealing with the looming threat of global warming. Toyota also hopes to establish its image in the market as the "greenest" of carmakers.
Toyota began work on biological ways to clean up the environment in 1991 under the Forest of Toyota project. Kunio Matsui, chief botanist on Toyota's tree project, says the goal of the project is to create trees that absorb gases such as nitrous oxide and sulphur dioxide found in smog. These are toxic, and can kill trees. But doubling the number of chromosomes in experimental trees widened the tiny air inlets on stems and leaves, Matsui found out.
The inlets were found to absorb more nitrous oxide than standard trees. Matsui treated seeds of gum trees and conifers, among others. But he could make only two out of 10,000 seeds metamorphose into the versions with double chromosomes. Since then, he has refined his technique to work in as many as six seeds out of 100. Matsui also discovered that his trees could withstand salty ocean winds.
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