Plant strengtheners

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

According to the German Plant Protection Act § 2 No. 10, plant strengthening agents are substances and mixtures including microorganisms that are exclusively intended to serve the general health of the plant, unless they are plant protection agents according to Article 2 Paragraph 1 of Regulation (EC) No. 1107/2009 (Plant Protection Product Ordinance) . Substances and mixtures that are intended to protect plants from non-parasitic impairments such as frost or increased evaporation are now also considered to be plant strengtheners.

According to the definition of the Austrian Fertilizer Act 1994, plant auxiliaries are substances without a significant nutrient content, which are intended to affect plants, increase the resistance of plants or influence the processing of organic substances. Plant strengtheners must not have any direct protective effects against diseases and pests. If such properties are present, it is a plant protection product that requires authorization.

Organic-based agents such as. B. algae or plant extracts as well as essential oils are considered. In addition, products on a mineral basis (e.g. rock flour) and also on a microbial basis (fungi and bacteria) are offered. Preparations that are to be used “on cut ornamental plants other than cultivation material” are also included in this category. These are so-called freshness - keeping agents for flowers in the vase , which usually contain sugar , a germ-inhibiting substance (e.g. an organic acid) or inorganic salts. Even the white color, which is supposed to protect fruit trees from bursting the bark on sunny winter days, is assigned to this product group.

Plant strengtheners are particularly important in biological crop protection , but they are also sometimes used by conventional farmers and gardeners.

The harmonization of the approval is being prepared in the European countries, in France, Austria and Switzerland there are no approval rules for plant strengtheners so far (2016). The Association Biostimulants in Agriculture and the European Biostimulant Industry Council have been trying to harmonize the EU guidelines since 2013 .

Listing procedure

Plant strengtheners must be registered by the manufacturer or dealer with the Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) before they are placed on the market.

In cooperation with the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment , the Federal Environment Agency and the Julius Kühn Institute (as successor to the Federal Biological Research Center for Agriculture and Forestry ), the BVL examines whether it is a plant tonic and whether no harmful effects are to be expected. The examination is usually based on the application documents; if necessary, the BVL can request further documents or samples. The processing time is usually four months.

The inclusion in the list of plant strengtheners is announced in the Federal Gazette, and there is also a monthly updated list on the BVL website.

Criteria for listing

Plant strengtheners must not have any direct effect on harmful organisms or pathogens, as otherwise they would be subject to much stricter regulations as plant protection products . Preparations with mainly growth-promoting effects, on the other hand, are considered to be plant additives or soil additives . They fall under the fertilizer law .

Plant strengtheners must not have any harmful effects on human or animal health, groundwater or the natural balance. Proof of their effectiveness is not required.

Breakdown according to active ingredients

The plant strengtheners are based on very different active ingredients. The following structure goes back to the Julius Kühn Institute.

Inorganic tonics

Here, in terms of quantity, the preparations that contain the cell wall-strengthening silicate , such as water glass or rock flour, stand out . Other tonics contain carbonates such as chalk or potash .

Organic tonics

This is the largest group of plant strengtheners. These include, for example dried plants for recognizing plants Jauchen or ready plant extracts, and algae extracts . Essential vegetable oils are used as repellants against animal pests.

Some tonics contain gibberellins or other plant hormones . Others consist of animal products such as whey , proteins or propolis . Humic substances are also contained as active ingredients in some plant tonics.

Homeopathic tonics

The homeopathic plant strengtheners contain inorganic or organic active ingredients in a very diluted (potentiated) form. The carrier medium is usually water, but rock flour or the like is rarely used.

Microbial based preparations

They can only be approved as plant strengtheners since 1997. It is particularly difficult to distinguish them from plant protection products, as some of them can form antibiotics. These are, for example, fungi of the genera Trichoderma and Pythium or bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis , Pseudomonas and Streptomycetes .

Plant strengtheners in other countries

In Austria, all products approved in Germany can be used. However, there they are formally regarded as plant additives and thus as fertilizers . A protective effect against harmful organisms or pathogens may not be emphasized in advertising for these products.

Plant strengtheners are used in Switzerland, but there are no specific regulations.

criticism

Due to the higher effectiveness of synthetic biocides and fungicides , several plant strengtheners have already been withdrawn from the market, which were actually pesticides, but which are not allowed in organic farming .

For example, two citrus extracts contained the biocide didecyldimethylammonium chloride and grapefruit seed oils that had been treated with fungicides were on the market.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Plant strengthener definition
  2. ↑ New rules for plant strengtheners in Germany ( Memento from November 10, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
  3. ↑ Descriptive list of plant strengtheners ( Memento from September 17, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ↑ topagrar online: Attention: Plant strengtheners Vi-Care and Wuxal are prohibited! , July 3, 2012.
  5. ↑ Udo Pollmer's radio program “ Meal ” on August 19, 2012 with the title “DDAC - Pesticides through the back door”.