Small-scale farmers across the developing world lack a storage system that can keep their crops safe from insects and rodents, but new research on the use of ‘pesticidal plants’ is showing promise, reports Environment Guru.

Angela Mkindi, a graduate student at the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology, is investigating a pesticide powder made from 4 local plants, all of which have long been used for pest control in the region. She is testing the powder on cowpeas, a popular legume in East Africa that is vulnerable to insect infestation.

Pesticidal plants are also the subject of research by the World Agroforestry Centre. Researcher Parveen Anjarwalla has been “traveling the region, working with agricultural extension agents on training materials for proper harvesting and use of these plants,” says the article, and she has seen particular interest from people working in conservation areas in the broader region of East and southern Africa, including Uganda, Madagascar and Mozambique. “They can’t use synthetic pesticides in those areas, so they’re interested in the pesticidal plants,” she says.

The article acknowledges there are many challenges associated with the use of pesticidal plants, such as disseminating knowledge to remote areas, ensuring sustainability if the plants are used widely and the need to develop formal regulation to ensure safety.

Read the full story: Could traditional plants hold the secret to saving crops from pests?