A new study, conducted in Spain, has found that a beer by-product mixed with manure is an excellent natural pesticide
A perfect mix, capable of protecting plants by reducing parasites present in the soil in a completely natural way. A new study, conducted in Spain, has found that a beer by-product mixed with manure is an excellent natural pesticide
The research, carried out by the Neiker Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, has shown that beer bagasse and canola can be used as effective bio-disinfestation treatments to reduce soil pest populations and increase yields. Researchers demonstrated that using these organic treatments in soils significantly reduced root-knot nematodes and enhanced beneficial soil populations, as well as reducing agricultural industry waste.
Bagasse is a by-product of the beer industry linked to the pressing and filtration process of the wort, obtained after the saccharification of cereal malt. Now, to try to reduce agricultural industry waste and reduce the amount of harmful chemicals used, researchers have studied the use of these organic by-products of brewing and agriculture to disinfest land, preserve the healthy soil microorganisms and increase yields.
For the study, published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, the researchers tried to make a mix of cow manure, canola and beer bagasse. The results were encouraging as lead author Maite Gandariasbeitia explained:
Rapeseed and beer bagasse are two potential organic treatments that have shown very positive results in previous studies. Their high nitrogen content promotes the activity of beneficial microorganisms in the soil, which helps break down organic matter such as manure and kill nematodes and other pests that damage crops.
According to Gandariasbeitia, some nematodes can negatively impact crops and in particular root knot, a type of common pest that penetrates the root tissue of a plant to lay eggs:
This negatively impacts root development and the plant cannot absorb nutrients efficiently, slowing growth.
To disinfest the soil and reduce these nematode populations, beer bagasse and canola were incorporated into the soil with fresh cow manure. After the first crop treatment, the researchers found a significant reduction in root damage. But not only. After one year, an increase in yields of around 15% was found.
The study shows that these agricultural by-products are an effective treatment for root-knot nematodes and other soil pests, resulting in higher yields and promoting sustainable food systems to reduce agricultural industry waste.
For the full version of the study, click here
Sources of reference: Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
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