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Although studies have often highlighted weed fitness and defense traits resulting from disturbances like mowing, most were limited to foliar, or leaf, defenses, Kariyat said.

But Coleus, which takes just six to nine months from cutting to finished standard — the classic shape of a tall, single stem topped by a foliar globe — has them all beat for speed.

During the growing season, she feeds the plants with a foliar spray of diluted organic fish and seaweed fertilizer.

"BLD, likely in combination with other foliar pathogens and canopy thinning, causes a reduction in carbon assimilation capacity, which can potentially lead to tree mortality by depleting the trees' stored carbon," the study's authors concluded.

In potato production, the application of nutrients is conventionally achieved mainly through soil treatments with possible foliar feeding of certain nutrients, which involves the application of fertilizer directly onto the plants' leaves.