Horsetail can replace pesticides

Employees of the University of Tyumen, in cooperation with researchers from some other Russian scientific organizations, have studied the influence of the peptide extracts of medicinal plants on pests infecting potatoes.

Plant diseases caused by filamentous organisms (oomycetes) are a major problem in worldwide agriculture.
“A common way to fight them is to treat potatoes with pesticides. However, pathogens are becoming more and more resistant to chemicals. Therefore, scientists are looking for alternative methods of plant protection,” said one of the researchers Alexei Vasilchenko.

According to his statement, natural extracts from plants used in medicine are a promising addition to chemical pesticides. Their application will reduce the number of pesticide residues in food and the environment. Besides, the cost of integrated plant protection can be reduced.

The study indicated the ability of the peptide extracts to suppress the symptoms of potato blight within 144 hours after the potato is treated. The best results were achieved with the use of extracts from the common horsetail. It will be tested for the role of an active substance to develop a new biopesticide.