Homeopathic Treatments and their Effect on the Initial Development of Cucumber Plants Grown in Cow Manure Contaminated by Auxinic Herbicide
Felito RA, Yamashita RM, da Rocha AM, Gervazio W, de Carvalho MAC, Ferreira ACT, Roboredo D
Abstract
Homeopathy has been studied worldwide and its beneficial effects have been reported in animals and, more recently, in the healing of plants affected by various diseases, such as the treatment of plants grown on substrates contaminated with herbicide residues. However, information on the response of plants to homeopathic treatment is scarce. This work aimed to evaluate the neutralizing potential of homeopathic preparations on chemical residues of picloram + 2,4-D in bovine manure. After the herbicide contamination of manure, it was applied with each homeopathic treatment every 7 days, for a period of 10 weeks. The treatments consisted of the combination of three homeopathic preparations (Nux vomica, Carbo vegetabilis and Arsenicum album) and five dynamizations (6CH, 12CH, 18CH, 24CH and 30CH) and two controls = bovine manure without contamination and without homeopathic treatment; TH = contaminated bovine manure without homeopathic treatment). Samples were taken from each treatment for cucumber cultivation. On the 10th day after sowing, germination, emergence speed index, phytointoxication, aerial and root length and dry mass of the plants were evaluated. All homeopathic preparations worked positively to reduce the toxic effects of 2,4-D + picloram. However, they did not completely neutralize the action of the herbicide on early development of cucumber plants. Thus, it can be concluded that there is no differential response between homeopathic preparations and dynamizations between 6CH and 30CH in the expression of the toxic effect on young cucumber plants grown in manure contaminated with 2,4-D + picloram herbicide.