L’sweet orange essential oil it is a remedy of natural origin that can be used in the biological defense of the vegetable garden and orchard. The products based on this extract, specifically authorized, are allowed under the organic legislation, which allows the use of vegetable oils with insecticide and fungicide activity. And it is precisely the double active, antiparasitic and anticryptogamic action, the peculiarity of the essential oil extracted from oranges.
Let’s see specifically how it works.
What is sweet orange essential oil?
Orange oil is a essential oil contained in the cells of the peel of sweet oranges, Citrus sinensis. The extraction of this precious essential oil takes place through the pressing process of a mixture composed of small pieces of peel and water, deriving from the residues of the juice production. Then the emulsion centrifugation takes place, in which the water is separated from the essential oil. A cold process that recovers processing waste. It consists of volatile substances and terpenes. Its active action is mostly due to the presence of d-limonene for at least 90%, while the remainder may be composed of alpha- or beta-pinene, sabinene, myrcene and other terpenes.
The antiparasitic efficacy of sweet orange essential oil
Sweet orange essential oil is used in organic farming primarily for its insecticidal and acaricidal action.
On parasites, the effectiveness is expressed with a drying action of the cuticle of soft-bodied insects, both of the juvenile and adult forms. In practice, it acts on the phospholipids of the cell membrane making it dry for dehydration.
The essential oil of sweet orange acts only by physical contact and does not give rise to phenomena of resistance, which happens with synthetic insecticides.
There are numerous pests in the garden and orchard against which it is possible to use the product, here are the main ones: vine leafhopper, metcalfa pruinosa, thrips, white fly, mealybugs, red spider, psylla of the pear tree, Aleurocantus spinferusspittoon (the vector of the Xylella fastidiosa).
Fungicidal efficacy of sweet orange essential oil
The action of sweet orange essential oil is similar to diseases of cryptogamic origin. In fact, it consists in the dissolution of the pathogenic organs of fungi (spores, mycelium, conidia) which attack the plant tissues of crops.
It can be used against the different forms of downy mildew, powdery mildew, scab and rust. Very interesting is the use against the downy mildew and thepowdery mildew of the vine.
Against downy mildew it has a double action: preventive (acting on the oospore e during la germination) ed eradicating (dehydrating le spore) .
On the oidium instead the action is threefold, acting sui conidi in preventive, on micelio in manera curativa e siccando le spore indisando.
Sweet orange oil can be used in combination or alternating with products based on copper and sulfur, thus reducing the use of the same in the defense of crops.
Methods of use and risks
Sweet orange essential oil is a very volatile liquid substance, which means that it evaporates easily. For this reason, treatments should only be performed in the evening and on dry vegetation.
The proven efficacy of this oil must however warn about the possible effects on the useful entomofauna. To avoid damage to the beneficial insects and to bees it must be used in pre-established and authorized dosages for that parasite and for that crop, without exceeding.
Authorized products
Sweet orange essential oil is sold pure, as it usually comes used in aroma therapy. However, in our opinion, this type of products are not suitable for use in agriculture, as they do not contain sufficient specifications on mixing, dosages and indications on safe use. The advice is to use the products authorized by the Ministry with Decree n ° 16379 of 12/05/2015. For the purchase of commercial products, composed from essential oil and from emulsifiers, is required il possess del license physiological for professional use And are classified dangerous ai sensi of disposizioni di cui al Regulation (EC) 1272 / 08 (CLP)a necessary precaution due to the high efficacy of the active ingredient.
The best-selling product on the market based on sweet orange is PREV AM ® PLUS, of which the safety data Sheet.
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