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Orange peel soil amendments affect Brassica rapa growth and aphid development without disrupting parasitoid foraging behaviour.

PubMed · 2026-06-01

Adding orange peel powder to garden soil can slow aphid development on vegetable plants, but using too much also stunts plant growth — so the right dose matters for it to work as a pest control tool.

1

The highest orange peel dose (1:10 peel-to-soil ratio) significantly reduced seed germination, plant height, leaf size, and fresh weight.

2

Aphid nymphal development was significantly delayed at the two highest doses (1:10 and 1:15 ratios), and adult weight gain dropped at the 1:15 ratio.

3

Parasitoid wasp foraging behavior was unaffected at all amendment levels, preserving the plant's natural biological pest control.

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