Natural plant hormone can help plants eliminate pesticide residues

Washington, Sept 10 (ANI): Chinese researchers have discovered a natural plant hormone that can help plants eliminate residues of certain pesticides.

Researchers have been seeking new ways of minimizing pesticide residues that remain in food crops after harvest - with little success.

Previous research suggested that plant hormones called brassinosteroids (BRs) might be an answer to the problem.

During the study, lead researcher Jing Quan Yu and colleagues treated cucumber plants with one type of BR then treated the plants with various pesticides, including chloropyrifos (CPF), a broad-spectrum commercial insecticide.

The found that BR significantly reduced toxicity and residues in the plants.

BRs may be "promising, environmentally friendly, natural substances suitable for wide application to reduce the risks of human and environmental exposure to pesticides," said the scientists.

The substances do not appear to be harmful to people or other animals, they added.

The study appears in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. (ANI)