Julia
Nice little article from Natural News: http://www.naturalnews.com/028155_pesticides_herbs.html
(NaturalNews) Essential oils extracted from common kitchen herbs and
spices can be used as safer, less destructive pesticides, according to
research led by Murray Isman of the University of British Columbia and
presented at the Fall Meeting of the American Chemical Society in
Washington, D.C.
"We are exploring the potential use of natural pesticides based on
plant essential oils -- commonly used in foods and beverages as
flavorings," Isman said.
Isman's team has been researching the pest control properties of
CLOVE, MINT, ROSEMARY, and THYME for 10 years, and has found that
diluted mixtures of the essential oils from two to four of the plants
can be used to both repel and kill agricultural pests. These natural
pesticides have been effectively used to fight aphids and mites that
would otherwise prey on spinach, strawberry and tomato crops.
The essential oils provide several major advantages over synthetic
pesticides. They are significantly less toxic to farm workers and the
surrounding environment than synthetic chemicals. Because they break
down quickly, they are less likely to cause lasting harm to the
environment or human health. Researchers also claim that insects are
less likely to evolve resistance to the plant compounds.
Because they are not engineered but simply extracted from foods
already deemed safe, essential oil pesticides do not need regulatory
approval and can be used on organic crops.
Because the essential oils degrade so quickly in the environment,
however -- lasting as little as a few hours -- they need to be applied
relatively frequently. In comparison, synthetic pesticides may remain
in the soil for months and resist breakdown long after this time,
which is part of what makes them so dangerous. The herb and spice-
based pesticides also need to be applied in larger doses than
synthetic pesticides.
"They're not a panacea for pest control," Isman said. "It comes down
to what's good for the environment and what's good for human health."
Sources for this story include: news.bbc.co.uk; www.sciencedaily.com.
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