The interest in the use of monoterpenes for insect pest and pathogen control originates from the need for pesticide products with less negative environmental and health impacts than highly effective synthetic pesticides. The expanding literature on the possibility of the use of these monoterpenes is reviewed and focused on the effects of limonene on various bioorganisms. Limonene is used as insecticide to control ectoparasites of pet animals, but it has activity against many insects, mites, and microorganisms. Possible attractive effects of limonene to natural enemies of pests may offer novel applications to use natural compounds for manipulation of beneficial animals in organic agriculture. However, in few cases limonene-treated plants have become attractive to plant damaging insects and phytotoxic effects on cultivated plants have been observed. As a plant-based natural product limonene and other monoterpenes might have use in pest and weed control in organic agriculture after phytotoxicity on crop plants and, effects on non-target soil animals and natural enemies of pest have been investigated.
Cultivars of six leaf herb species were grown during 1999-2000 at South Finland (Piikkiö, 60° N, 23 ´E) and North Finland (Ruukki, 64° N, 41 E). The plants were propagated by seedlings, grown in black plastic mulch, fertilized by 20 t/ha compost. Growth, fresh and dry leaf yield, essential oil content, and composition were studied. The yields obtained from the southern growing site were generally higher by 10-40 % than those from the site 500 km further North. The shorter growing season affected the biomass production, but did not strongly influence the essential oil content and composition which were similar to other European results. The yield differences were very high in the case of Greek oregano and marjoram, but savory and dragonhead showed a better tolerance to the cooler climatic conditions and the yield differences were much smaller. Sage and thyme can be only grown in Finland as annuals and their yields were almost identical from both sites. Using bred cultivars, sufficient quantities of high quality raw material can be produced under Nordic conditions.
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