THE BRASSICACEAE BIOFUMIGATION SYSTEM FOR PLANT CULTIVATION AND DEFENCE. AN ITALIAN TWENTY-YEAR EXPERIENCE OF STUDY AND APPLICATION

Among non-chemical alternatives to pesticides, the use of natural compounds with a high biological activity presents several environmental benefits, mainly due to the renewability and biodegradability of these materials, that generally allows a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to the use of conventional pesticides. In particular, in these last twenty years, interesting perspectives have been provided by the study and the exploitation of the typical glucosinolate (GL)-myrosinase (MYR) defensive system of the Brassicaceae family. The biocidal activity of GL-MYR hydrolysis derived products has been observed in vitro on several soil-borne fungi, nematodes and insects and provides a natural and practical alternative to chemical fumigants in containing some soil borne pathogens and pests. Over these years, plants from several Brassicaceae species were selected as biofumigant green manures. In addition, some plants materials based on residual defatted seed meals containing high GL content were characterized, formulated, patented and tested in full-field application. These have been marketed in different countries for several years as dry pellets or as a component of liquid formulation for distribution on epigeal or hypogeal plant apparatus. A review on the biofumigant system, reporting the results of its efficacy in application fields as horticulture, floriculture, fruit cultivation and post-harvest treatment, will be presented. Finally, environmental aspects of the application of the biofumigant as an alternative to conventional pesticides will be discussed, also taking into account the secondary benefits of biobased products such as their fertilizing and biostimulant properties. The synergic application of these natural compounds, year after year, can maximize the biofumigation containing effect and can offer the farmer a natural option in plant cultivation and management.