Japanese scientists discover natural herbicide in walnut leaves
A team from Kyushu University has discovered a natural compound in Manchurian walnut tree leaves that stops other plants from growing.
Called 2Z-decaprenol, this new find could help replace chemical weed killers that pose environmental and health risks.
How researchers found the new herbicide
Researchers mimicked how walnut leaves break down in soil and tested the chemicals on tobacco seedlings.
2Z-decaprenol turned out to be the strongest at blocking growth—even though it's different from known walnut chemicals.
This is the first time anyone's shown it works this way.
Need to test safety for humans and animals
Before this can become a real bioherbicide, scientists need to make sure it's safe for humans and animals, and see if it can be produced at scale.
Still, it's a promising step toward greener, plant-based weed control.
The study appeared this year in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.