Researchers from Newcastle University’s School of Natural and Environmental Sciences found out what gardeners around the world have known for generations – that marigolds repel tomato whiteflies.
Limonene, released by marigolds, is the chemical responsible for keeping tomato whiteflies at bay. Its strong odour slows down whiteflies and repels them from hosting on tomato plants. To protect the plants, gardeners do a ‘companion planting’ where marigolds are interspersed around the tomato foliage.
The findings pave the way for developing safer and cheaper alternatives to pesticides. Limonene is inexpensive and less risky than pesticides that kill everything that they are sprayed on including organisms beneficial to the plant.
Limonene makes up about 90 per cent of the oil component in citrus peel. It is a common ingredient in mosquito repellents and household air fresheners.
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