Biological Insect Controls

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Stop for a moment and cast your mind over some of the virus diseases that beset plants: tobacco mosaic (TMV) on such members of the nightshade family as tomatoes ... bean mosaic on legumes ... and anthracnose on virtually everything. In all, there are about 400 known viruses that affect plants, and the damage they do to commercial crops has been estimated at between 2 and 10% of the total yield. Anything that can begin to control such viruses will clearly be a boon to commercial agriculture ... and also to the home gardener. just think how often you've had to plant a disease-resistant hybrid in place of a more flavorful (but also more vulnerable) standard variety!

Jerry Bishop summed up the benefits of the new-synthesized compound called 2,5-A that is—in its natural form-produced when interferon comes in contact with animal cells: "Minute amounts of the chemical sprayed on a plant can stop a devastating virus infection in less than an hour. The chemical can be made fairly cheaply in large volume. More important, it is harmless to the plant ... and to humans and other animals."

2,5-A won't appear on the market for some time. Field testing for both safety and efficacy must be carried out before the product can be used in agriculture. (After all, not everything that initially appears "harmless" turns out to be so.) But scientists in Israel and West Germany are cooperating in the work done by researchers at Temple University Medical School in Philadelphia, and the promise of 2,5-A seems to grow monthly.

AND EVEN MORE!

The April edition of The Avant Gardener ($15 for 12 monthly issues from Horticultural Data Processors, Box 489, New York, NY 10028 ... and well worth it!) brings good news about a systemic fungicide that stimulates plants to develop their own natural defense mechanism against downy mildews and phytophthora. Called Aliette, the product is labeled for vegetables and fruits as a soil drench or foliar spray. It's available from E.C. Geiger, Box 285, Harleysville, PA 19438.

THE SECOND SEASON

When you're faced with harvesting the bumper crop from your first planting, it's sometimes difficult to turn your thoughts to a fall harvest. But this is the time to put out seedlings of such healthful, fiber rich vegetables as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and brussels sprouts. (The garden calendar on page 180 of MOTHER NO. 70 gives full details about planting dates and suggests some cultivars.)

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