Phytoncidal Properties Of Plants

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

The phytoncidal properties of plants, that is, their ability to create biologically active substances that suppress the development of various kinds of protozoan pests, science discovered not so long ago. Although the term "phytoncides" itself was born in 1928, observant farmers of distant antiquity knew about this ability of plants and actively used their help to obtain decent harvests

The experience of the ancients

Observing the development of plants, even in ancient times, people noticed that, for example, such plants as the immortelle were young, the hellebore is not affected by bacteria that attack grain and vegetable crops. They began to prepare extracts from the listed herbs and soak the seeds of cultivated plants in them before planting. This gave good results, reduced the number of plant diseases. Cereals and vegetable crops grew more actively, developed better and yielded large yields.

Fruit trees were protected from mice and moles by sowing sea onions in the near-stem circles (other names for onions: blueberry, scilla, blue snowdrop).

To protect the harvest of berry and fruit plants from wasps, they were sprayed with olive oil. Purslane juice (dandura) saved bunches of grapes from gray rot, which affects today not only grapes, but also many fruits, berries (strawberries, strawberries), vegetables (tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, cucumbers) and flowers (dahlias, lilies, irises, gladioli, tulips, peonies) plants.

In addition to planting plants with phytoncidal properties, with the advent of tobacco in Europe, which began to be grown in vegetable gardens, the use of tobacco extracts began, which successfully protected other plants from various pests, including weevils. By constructing "smoke pots" from a mixture of tobacco, straw and sulfur, they fumigated plants affected by gluttonous aphids.

When pruning the branches of shrubs and trees, in order to protect the entry of pathogenic infections and bacteria into the wounds, the knives were smeared with wild garlic onions.

People who lived on the seashore collected brown algae, washed ashore by the tide, and hung them on trees, frightening off the caterpillars. Those who were unlucky enough to live on the seashore lashed the caterpillars with elderberry branches.

For a long time, the Caucasian or Dalmatian chamomile ("pyrethrum") has been used as a plant protection agent against garden and household pests. Later, scientists learned how to prepare stable synthetic analogs of natural active substances contained in chamomile and other phytoncidal plants. They could be procured in large quantities while reducing their cost.

Use of "deterrent" plants

It is much easier than using chemical methods to combat crop pests, to use "repelling" pests of plants, planting them next to cultural plantings that require protection. The essential volatile substances of the defenders, acting on the sensory organs of pests of all stripes, from insects to large rodents, for example, moles, stop their intrusiveness, discouraging or reducing their appetite with their smell.

Of course, you should not rely only on the ethereal volatiles of protective plants. The effectiveness of their action depends on many external factors. Therefore, when many disappointedly say that the proposed method of protection "does not work", accuse the advisers of idle talk, they simply do not take into account other factors. The ability of substances to repel pests is influenced by weather conditions; the size of shrubs, trees and herbaceous plants; the number of pests that managed to breed and even the season.

For example, it was experimentally revealed that young leaves of a bird cherry within an hour dealt with the Colorado beetles taken for the experiment. Phytoncides of leaves of cherry laurel and bird cherry in 45 seconds defeated flies in May, but in August they already needed 16 hours for a similar slaughter.

Observant farmers have noticed that an elderberry bush growing next to the currant will scare away bud mites, a fire butterfly, and those who like to change the tone of their wings - currant moths.

Scylla (scrub), cute yellow daffodils, castor oil plants will scare away hard-working moles.

The sensory organs of mice do not like the smell of onions, garlic, marigolds, wormwood, ranch from the Legume family, blackroot (dog tongue), as well as chaff of yellow bitter lupine.

Moth butterflies, laying eggs on the leaves and fruit trees that are set, are able to scare away tansy and wormwood stems, garlic and onion bulbs hanging in the crown of trees.

And the tireless and voracious ant "cows" - aphids, can be scared away by the aromas of marigolds, nasturtium, mint, chives, mustard.

Flower lovers who are tolerant of the presence of small quantities of dandelions, colza and other "weeds" will find it easier to protect their flower beds from aphids, spider mites, caterpillars, since these weeds are attractive to predatory bugs, soft-bodied beetles, parasites that exterminate the listed flower pests …