Novel methods to improve the plant immunity

Abstract

The aim of the agricultural activities is obtaining high quality products with higher yields without adversely affecting the ecological balance, but today the presence of the pesticide residues in agricultural products and their accumulation on the soil surface adversely affect human and environmental health. The problems arising from the excessive use of synthetic pesticides have made it important to do research on the alternative methods and on utilization of natural pesticides in plant protection studies. Wood vinegar, a product that can be used in this context, is a by-product produced by the pyrolysis of side products such as agricultural wastes, fruit peels or wood wastes at 200- 600 °C in the absence of oxygen. Wood vinegar contains more than 200 chemicals, including acetic acid, methanol, phenol, ester, acetal, ketone, formic acid and many other organics. In many studies, it has been proven that wood vinegar has antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal effects and can be used as a biopesticide due to these effects. It has also been reported in studies that wood vinegar, which is effective in the growth of some bacterial species, also increases the fertilizer retention in the soil, and is good for plant rooting and plant health.