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Pepper as a Pesticideby Wendy Priesnitz Organic gardeners have known it for generations. But scientists have now proved it. Extracts from black pepper discourage insect pests from laying eggs on leaves and pose lower risk to humans and the environment than other pesticides, according to a University of Ottawa researcher.Biologist Ian Scott and his research team have tested black pepper’s potential as a pesticide for use in Canada. And Scott recently presented their findings at the American Chemical Society’s meeting in New York.
They found that pepper worked
best with pine sawflies and caterpillars like the eastern tent
caterpillar. It also worked better when insects were soft-bodied, during
the larval stage. In fact, the pepper extracts were found to be as
efficient as the synthetic pesticide diazinon, which is being phased out
of use in Canada and will not be available for sale for domestic use after
December 31, 2004. |
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