Projects / Programmes
Research on natural resistance of vegetable crops against pests
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 7.00.00 |
Interdisciplinary research |
|
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| B390 |
Biomedical sciences |
Phytotechny, horticulture, crop protection, phytopathology |
| P300 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Analytical chemistry |
vegetable crops, pests, natural resistance, chromatography, mass spectrometry, epicuticular vaxes, triterpenoids
Researchers (12)
Organisations (2)
Abstract
The main goal of the proposed research is to determine the natural resistance of a number of different varieties of vegetable crops against chosen harmful insects and to explain the natural resistance of vegetable crops on the basis of chemical analysis of surface compounds. The results of the research will be used in practice in different ways at producing of healthier vegetables: the most naturally resistant sorts will be selected and the way of protection of new, sensitive but productive vegetable crop hybrids with natural insecticidal compounds will be determined.
The following vegetable crops will be studied during the growing season: Brassicas (different varieties of early white cabbage, late white cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale), Alliaceae (different varieties of onion, leek) and fruit vegetables (different varieties of tomato, pepper and cucumber). Natural resistance of all selected vegetable crops will be evaluated by systematic determination of pests presence and damages.
In the chemical part of the research we want to determine the content of epicuticular waxes and their composition, and also some additional surface components from studied vegetable crops. Finally, we would like to estimate the correlation between the surface chemicals (considering their content and composition) and pest damages. We will also perform laboratory testing on the insecticide action of the chosen surface compounds extracts and also fractions of the extracts in order to identify active compounds. We will also consider the possibility of sinergism of different compounds in the pesticide action.
It will be necessary to find out or to develop suitable analytical methods based on different chromatographic (gas chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, thin-layer chromatography with different detection possibilities) and spectroscopic techniques. Profound understanding of natural resistance based on chemical analysis can additionally lead to discovery of natural compounds with pesticide action that would not be toxic for human beings and would be ascessible through chemical synthesis or extraction from plants.
