north american wood vinegar
North American Wood Vinegar aims to create awareness about organic fertilizer, wood vinegar (Pyroligneous acid), and a global coalition connecting farmers with the resources they need to contribute to an ecologically sound food system and prosperous planet. The mission is carried out through the three pillars of the organization: information exchange, outreach and advocacy.
Wood Vinegar, also called Pyroligneous acid, Liquid Smoke or Mokusaku, is a dark liquid produced through the natural act of carbonization, which occurs when a biomass is heated in an airless container during charcoal/biochar production. The exhaust smoke from this charcoal production is condensed (cooled) into a liquid – this condensate then further separates into Tar, Vinegar and Bio-Oil.
Sustainable Supply Source
Reduces Chemical Dependency
Increases Seed Germination
Replaces Chemical Fertilizers
The high acidity
Wood vinegar had been long known to be very effective against nematodes. It kills nematodes directly as well as propagates microbes that feed on them. The high acidity, methanol and phenol content have strong bactericidal effect at a high concentration, such as 50 to 100 times dilution. However, microbes propagate well when it is diluted to 200 times dilution. This is mainly due to the effect on the metabolism by its main element, acetic acid. Acetyl co-enzyme is produced by plants and microbes from acetic acid. Through the TCA cycle, acetyl coenzyme is converted into citric acid, malic acid, fumaric acid, succinic acid and other elements that are necessary for the plant and microbes. This is the main reason behind the propagation of microbes.
Wood Vinegar Used to Repel Insects
Wood Vinegar has been widely used to repel insects from plants and households in Thailand and it is easy to find pyroligenous products marketed on the Internet as an insect repellent. Efficacy of wood vinegar as an insect repellent has not been widely studied or published and thus the scientific evidence is minimal. However, Strong in 1973 reported good results when wheat seed were treated with hardwood tar oil to repel birds, rodents, and insects. Hardwood oil was also found to be toxic to all the tested insects. Very similar effects were found when pyroligenous acid was used for controlling insects from sweet corn plots. Wood tars pyrolysed from alder, larch and birch were effective repellents for control of the vole(Clethrionomys rufocanus bedfordiae) in an experiment in Japan. In addition, scientific evidence reported in Finland demonstrated that birch tar oil effectively repelled slugs (Arion lusitanicus) and snails (Aranta arbustorum).
How does Wood Vinegar Work?
Wood vinegar reduces the cluster value of water to 1/3. This means that the water is activated and can be easily absorbed by the plants, because water with a low cluster value is in a very small mass, which increases the penetration rate. Each of these masses will hold one or few mineral elements, and these elements can be easily taken into the crops. This will greatly reduce the use of agrochemicals; however, the solution should not be used with alkaline chemicals.
Wood Vinegar
Through foliar application of wood vinegar, the leaves become shiny and darker in color. This is due to the increase in chlorophyll through the effect of ester in the wood vinegar which promotes photosynthesis. This ester also helps in the formation of sugar and amino acids. This also results in a better taste of the produce. The healthier leaves naturally have a stronger resistance against pests and diseases. Five plant hormones are closely related to the growth and health of a plant. These are: gibberellin, cytokinin, auxin, ethylene and abscisic acid. Ethylene and abscisic acid contribute to the plant’s resistance against diseases and attacks from bacteria. An amino acid called methionine effects the formation of ethylene. The formation of etherlene is reduced by the excessive intake of nitrogen. On the other hand, growth hormones like gibberellin, cytokinin and auxin will be produced. As a result, the size of the plant increases but the resistance against diseases is reduced. The formation of oxidized ethylene from ethylene and the formation of methionine is accelerated by acids. The wood vinegar helps in their formation due to its acidity.
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