RGCB develops crop protection process without chemicals, pesticides

Thiruvananthapuram (IANS) | A team of researchers from Kerala has come up with a process to protect crops by boosting their immune system in a natural way without using dangerous chemicals and pesticides. Here at the Rajiv Gandhi Center for Biotechnology (RGCB), S. The team led by Manjula has conducted studies on pepper plants and found it to be very beneficial for crop protection and better yield of pepper.

Manjula said that the new protection process has proved effective in protecting pepper plants from ‘foot-rot’ disease and there is strong evidence for this.

He explained that Glycol Chitosan (GC) is a water-soluble, non-toxic repolymer, which is known to protect the plant. It was used to protect the leaves of pepper plants from insects.

“Diseases and pests pose a serious threat to the sustainable production of commercial black pepper. It was observed that GC treatment is very effective in protecting plants from ‘foot-rot’ disease,” Manjula said.

“Increasing the efficiency of the plant’s immune system will reduce the need to rely on volatile insecticides,” Manjula said.

The findings of the study have recently been published in the journal ‘Frontiers in Plant Science’.

RGCB director Chandrabhas Narayan said that this is an important research not only for pepper plants but also to fulfill the purpose of plantation.

“It is sustainable and inherently ecological, as a better alternative to high-risk pesticides and synthetic chemicals,” Narayan said.

–IANS