Examination of genetic lines of Myrtus communis as potential sources of organic agricultural pest control agents
Elazar Quinn,
Eyal Ben-Simchon,
Jonathan Gorelick,
Yuji Oka,
Omer Frenkel,
Edward Sionov,
Moshe Kostyukovsky,
Nativ Dudai,
Jakob Shimshoni,
Shmuel Zilkah,
Menashe Cohen,
Aviv Rapaport,
Oren Shelef
Affiliations
Elazar Quinn
Department of Food Science, Agricultural Research Organization – Volcani Institute, Rishon Le Tzion, Israel
Eyal Ben-Simchon
The R.H. Smith Institute of Plant Science and Genetics in Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, 76100, Israel; Department of Natural Resources, Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization – Volcani Institute, Rishon Le Tzion, Israel
Jonathan Gorelick
Eastern R&D Center, Kiryat Arba, Israel
Yuji Oka
Nematology Unit, Gilat Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization – Volcani Institute, Negev, Israel
Omer Frenkel
Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Agricultural Research Organization – Volcani Institute, Rishon Le Tzion, Israel
Edward Sionov
Department of Food Science, Agricultural Research Organization – Volcani Institute, Rishon Le Tzion, Israel
Moshe Kostyukovsky
Department of Food Science, Agricultural Research Organization – Volcani Institute, Rishon Le Tzion, Israel
Nativ Dudai
Unit of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization – Volcani Institute, Ramat-Yishay, Israel
Jakob Shimshoni
Department of Food Science, Agricultural Research Organization – Volcani Institute, Rishon Le Tzion, Israel
Shmuel Zilkah
Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization – Volcani Institute, Rishon Le Tzion, Israel
Menashe Cohen
Avnei Eitan Experiment Station, Golan Heights, Israel
Aviv Rapaport
Department of Food Science, Agricultural Research Organization – Volcani Institute, Rishon Le Tzion, Israel
Oren Shelef
Department of Natural Resources, Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization – Volcani Institute, Rishon Le Tzion, Israel; Corresponding author.
Myrtus communis is a Mediterranean shrub cultivated in Israel for traditional, ceremonial use only, with more than 98 % of the crop biomass, equivalent to 26–27 tons per ha per annum, considered agricultural waste. Therefore, potentially profitable use for this excess is being highly sought. As Myrtus is also known for its unique terpene and terpenoid content, this work evaluated the impact of essential oil (EO) extracted from several M. communis cultivars on storage insects, nematodes, fungi, and pathogens. In addition, the allelopathic effect of M. communis litter on the germination success of wheat seeds was evaluated. The EO extracts demonstrated an insecticidal effect on several storage insects in fumigation experiment and a potentially inhibiting effect on wheat development in allelopathy experiments. No significant impact of M. communis EOs on the examined fungi, pathogens, and nematodes was recorded. Additional uses of the M. communis biomass suggest supplying additional income to the farmer through the circular agriculture approach. In addition, the use of this local crop can contribute to sustainable intensification by increasing farming efficiency, providing nature-based substitutes for chemical pesticides, and possibly, improving the future design of agriculture through the integration of Myrtus in monoculture crops.
