Plant Hormones Natural Pesticides

HANGZHOU, ChinaPlant hormones called brassinosteroids (BRs) may be promising, environmentally friendly, natural substances suitable for wide application to reduce the risks of human and environment exposure to pesticides, according to a new study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Researchers treated cucumber plants with one type of BR then treated the plants with various pesticides, including chloropyrifos (CPF), a broad-spectrum commercial insecticide. BR significantly reduced their toxicity and residues in the plants, they say. BRs may be "promising, environmentally friendly, natural substances suitable for wide application to reduce the risks of human and environmental exposure to pesticides," the scientists note. The substances do not appear to be harmful to people or other animals, they wrote.