garlic as pesticide
Extracts from black pepper discourage insect pests from laying eggs on leaves and pose lower risk to humans and the environment than other pesticides, a University of Ottawa researcher says.
People in West Africa, India and South America have used pepper oil and dust for years to protect their homes and grain supplies from bugs.
Doctoral student Ian Scott of the He found pepper worked better when insects are soft-bodied during the larval stage because the chemical is able to penetrate.
Scott's team simulated insect environments in the lab, applying pepper extracts from various sources. They counted insects before and after.
When it worked, Scott said, it worked fast. Within 24 hours, they'd see fewer insects. He presented the results on Monday at the American Chemical Society's meeting in New York.
They found the extracts were as efficient as the synthetic pesticide diazinon, soon to be phased out in Canada.
Better yet, Scott said pepper is unlikely to cause many of the problems associated with synthetic pesticides, such as groundwater contamination, insect resistance and human illness.
"There's not as much concern in terms the impact on human health because of the long history of culinary use and medicinal use," said Scott.
The downside is it would take the equivalent of several kilograms of pepper to treat a typical lawn. Although he is convinced pepper would make an effective natural pesticide, it is up to government and industry to bring it to market.University of Ottawa's biology department has tested pepper's potential as a pesticide for use in Canada.
"The more susceptible species were pine sawflies, which are passed on ornamental plants and caterpillars such as the eastern tent caterpillar," said
People in West Africa, India and South America have used pepper oil and dust for years to protect their homes and grain supplies from bugs.
Doctoral student Ian Scott of the He found pepper worked better when insects are soft-bodied during the larval stage because the chemical is able to penetrate.
Scott's team simulated insect environments in the lab, applying pepper extracts from various sources. They counted insects before and after.
When it worked, Scott said, it worked fast. Within 24 hours, they'd see fewer insects. He presented the results on Monday at the American Chemical Society's meeting in New York.
They found the extracts were as efficient as the synthetic pesticide diazinon, soon to be phased out in Canada.
Better yet, Scott said pepper is unlikely to cause many of the problems associated with synthetic pesticides, such as groundwater contamination, insect resistance and human illness.
"There's not as much concern in terms the impact on human health because of the long history of culinary use and medicinal use," said Scott.
The downside is it would take the equivalent of several kilograms of pepper to treat a typical lawn. Although he is convinced pepper would make an effective natural pesticide, it is up to government and industry to bring it to market.University of Ottawa's biology department has tested pepper's potential as a pesticide for use in Canada.
"The more susceptible species were pine sawflies, which are passed on ornamental plants and caterpillars such as the eastern tent caterpillar," said