The fight against insect pests It is one of the biggest challenges in horticulture, especially for those looking for natural and sustainable solutions.

Chemical pesticides can be effective, but they have a high environmental cost and can affect people’s health. Therefore, organic farmers turn to alternative methods against insect or fungal pests.

One of these methods is the use of tobacco plant as an insect trap, a technique that Juan Manuel Refojo, expert in ecological gardens of the project Garden is Lifehas been successfully implemented.

tobacco: A natural strategy to protect the garden

In his orchard, Refojo has developed an ingenious protection system based on tobacco plantation at the ends of tomato lines.

This method is based on tobacco’s natural ability to attract insects and keep them away from main crops. «Tobacco acts as a chromatic trap or insect trap,» explains the expert, highlighting that the plant becomes an effective lure for the most common pests.

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Although their tobacco plants are still small, they have already proven their effectiveness. Its leaves are full of insects that, instead of attacking the tomatoes, are attracted to the trap plant. Among these insects are green and black aphids, whitefly and red spider, pests that can attack and ruin your vegetable crops.

Why is tobacco so effective?

The effectiveness of tobacco in attracting insects is due to several reasons. First of all, nicotine, which is harmful to people, It is also toxic to a wide variety of insects. In addition, the fragrance it gives off is highly attractive to certain harmful insects.

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Secondly, its leaves have a sticky texture that traps many of these invaders, preventing them from moving back to the crops you value.

«It seems incredible how many insects can accumulate on a single tobacco plant and the ability it has to attract them,» says Refojo.

It also clarifies that this technique does not affect beneficial insects, such as bees, which play a fundamental role in the pollination of the garden.

An ecological and sustainable method

One of the biggest benefits of this system is its completely eco-friendly nature. No artificial chemicals or pesticides are used, which allows you to maintain a healthy garden without affecting the environment or putting local biodiversity at risk.

Furthermore, tobacco is a vigorous growing plant, so can develop without the need for great care additional.

This method also has another important advantage: its flexibility. It can be applied to different types of crops, not only tomatoes, but also other vegetables sensitive to pests. It is enough to plant tobacco in strategic points of the garden to achieve efficient biological control.

The evolution of the experiment

Refoja and his team are closely observing the behavior of tobacco plants and the evolution of their function as an insect trap. «We will see how the plant develops and if its ability to attract pests is maintained as it grows,» explains the expert.

This type of constant control is key in organic horticulturesince it allows strategies to be adjusted and improve their effectiveness over time.

How to use tobacco in your garden?

If you want to try this method in your own garden, here are some basic steps to get started:

1. Choose a strategic place: Plant tobacco at the ends of your main crops or in areas where you have detected a greater presence of pests.

2. Plant in the right season: Tobacco requires warm temperatures to germinate and develop properly.

3. Monitor plant growth: As it grows, see how many insects it attracts and if there is an impact on reducing pests in your vegetables.

4. You can combine it with other ecological strategies: Organic methods offer other solutions against plant pests and diseases such as crop rotation or associations between plants that benefit each other.

Take advantage of tobacco waste

Since tobacco is a plant that grows a lotyou can take leaves to dry them and turn them into powder or use them in preparation of insecticidal infusions that you can spray on plants affected by insects, mites and fungi.

Tobacco powder is an effective ally in the control of various pests, including slugs, snails, mites, flies, thrips, moths, scale insects, aphids, worms and red spider mites, among other insects. Its use is safe in all types of crops and gardens, helping to protect plants naturally.

Applying it every three months not only fights pests, but also favors the recovery and enrichment of the soil organically.

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