The use of effective pesticides to protect plants against pathogens forms an integral part of the technologies available for intensive vegetable production. Generally effective fungicides are applied in the intensively cultivated plant production to control diseases caused by pathogenic fungi. However these fungicides are not permitted for use in organic farming – with the exception of inorganic preparations containing copper. Organically grown plants do not enjoy the fullest preventive protection against attacks from pathogens leading to a potential reduction in crops or in more serious cases to their destruction. Researchers at the University of Szeged have selected a new copper-resistant Bacillus mojavensis strain that produces an antagonistic effect on the most common pathogens in vegetable farming and promotes induced pathogen resistance in cultivated plants. The strain selected has been extraordinarily resistant to inorganic preparations containing copper used in organic farming pest control.
Induced pathogen resistance in cultivated plants so that use of pesticides is limited.