lecithin It is a particularly useful substance for stimulate plant defenses . It can be found in the list of products c onsentiti in organic farming and we can use it to prevent and block plant adversities. Being a natural substance, it does not leave toxic residues.
Let’s see in this article what it is, for what uses and crops it is recommended and how it should be used.
In organic farming, the most used fungicides are those based on copper and they have harmful effects on the soil, so soy lecithin and any other more organic alternative that can help us against garden and orchard diseases are the welcome.
Contents [Ocultar]
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What is lecithin?
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lecithin in agriculture
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The positive action of lecithin
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When to Use Lecithin in the Garden
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What adversities to deal with
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What crops is it used on?
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Instructions for use: mode and dose
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Toxicological class of lecithin
Contents
what is lecithin
lecithin is a set of phospholipids and it is also one of the main constituents of cell walls .
This substance is not used exclusively for agricultural purposes, but on the contrary, It is widely used in food industry as an additive with a thickening and emulsifying effect, and in this quality it can be identified on food labels with the initials E322 .
Lecithin is made up of a molecule with hydrophilic and lipophilic parts , so that it manages to combine water and fat well, creating a stable and homogeneous emulsion. It is mainly extracted from soybeans, and for this reason it is often found directly called ” soy lecithin “, but it is also possible to obtain it from rapeseed, sunflower, corn and eggs, so it is a substance that may be of plant or animal origin .
lecithin in agriculture
In agriculture, especially in organic farming, soy lecithin used as a fungicide .
Reg CE 889/08, one of the cornerstones of organic legislation at European level, which will remain in force until 2021, contains several annexes, including Annex II where you can read the list of authorized pesticides and phytosanitary products . It also contains lecithin listed with » basic substances » of plant or animal origin.
In Italy, in particular, the ministerial decree 6793/2018 which reaffirms the possibility of using in appendix 2 “Products used as corroborants, reinforcers of the natural defenses of plants”.
Organic standards regularly apply to certified professional farmers, but even on a private level, you can take inspiration from these lists and choose to use authorized substances because they have the least impact compared to those authorized for conventional agriculture. Thus, to defend the garden, fruit trees and many ornamental plants in the garden, we can also choose lecithin among the possible natural and effective substances.
The positive action of lecithin
Lecithin against fungal diseases acts by contact with the pathogen. The phospholipids that compose it are able to inhibit the germination of spores of many pathogenic fungi. thereby blocking the further course of pathology.
On the other hand, and this is perhaps the most important aspect to consider, lecithin has the effect of strengthening the natural defense mechanisms of plants with a positive preventive effect on your health, because strengthens and makes the cell walls of plant tissues more elastic , including fruit. The latter, after treatment with lecithin, are less prone to certain physiopathies that is, to adversities not caused by pathogens or insects, such as sunburn or clefts.
It seems like also organoleptic qualities and shelf life after harvest of the same fruits improve following these treatments.
When to Use Lecithin in the Garden
Lecithin is a useful substance to strengthen the defenses of plants and to combat the spread of spores of many fungal diseases. The prospect is to resort to lecithin not so much out of necessity, but especially as a preventive , before illnesses arise, working first with a harmless and natural product. As always, in organic cultivation, you have to think ahead and keep the plants strong from the start, so that they are more resistant.
lecithin can be mixed with almost all products authorized in organic farming for the protection of plants, as long as they do not have an alkaline reaction. In mixtures it works like emulsifier , which makes the treatment depending on the product to which it is mixed much more effective because it allows a more uniform and regular distribution. Indeed, it is also used in conventional agriculture as an emulsifier of herbicides, which reduces the harmful effects of drift. In practice, the drops of the mixture containing the herbicide and the lecithin become heavier and do not disperse easily in the air beyond the plot to be treated.
What are the adversities to deal with?
The common use of lecithin is antioid therefore to treat cucurbit disease, for strawberries, apples, currants, roses and other ornamental species, but also protects against other cryptogams such as alternaria, drupaceous bubbles and mildew and in general it is reinforced against possible cryptogamic pathologies.
What crops do you use?
We can use lecithin in lots of vegetables and fruit trees , alone or as an emulsifier, at any time in its cycle. This treatment is very useful for the defense of the organic garden and has no contraindications in any of the crops.
Instructions for use: mode and dose
For the correct use of lecithin it is necessary read the product label carefully since we can find different liquid formulations or wettable powders, to be used in water for spraying.
As a dose in mixtures, used as an emulsifier, about 1-1.5 liters/ha are used, while only, in vegetables and fruits, doses ranging from 2 to 4 liters/ha are indicated. Considering that to treat one hectare of surface, approximately 1,000 liters of water are needed, and one hectare (ha) has an area of 10,000 square meters, For a lecithin treatment, only 2 to 4 liters of lecithin are needed per 1000 liters of water. . For a garden of 100 square meters, as an example, you can use 10 liters of water, in which about 20-40 ml of lecithin is diluted. Of course, the actual dose may vary from the given example, as it depends on the product purchased, but the important thing is to spend some time and patience to double count the proportions.
To be effective, the treatment must ensure full ground cover and it is always better to choose the hours of freshness and the day to do it.
In fruit plants, treatment with lecithin should be repeated every two weeks, 2 or 3 times after flowering. . Him too at the end of autumn with plants in vegetative rest, it is useful to carry out preventive treatment.
Toxicological class of lecithin
lecithin it has no toxic effects on humans, plants and animals and leaves no residue in the environment , but it is still useful to respect the waiting time indicated on the label. As a toxicological class, lecithin is Unclassified due to its non-toxicity.
The use of soy lecithin in the organic garden is therefore an excellent idea, ecologically it can be a good alternative to other less ecological treatments. The preventive function of this substance helps to keep crops healthy for longer.