Sometimes, the most specific ideas are also the most effective and those able to get people talking about them. French farmer Christophe Bitauld knows something about it. When his fruit trees continued to be damaged and consumed by an insect attacking them, the man did not know how to protect his harvest.
The parasite continued to destroy fruits, and in particular apples, but Christophe was determined not to use chemicals, which were potentially toxic to his plants and the environment. So when he consulted an agricultural adviser, he found an “organic” solution to the problem, to say the least.
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picture credit: France Bleu/Youtube
For some time now, researcher and agricultural consultant Dominique Biche had studied the possibility that certain animals could act as natural predators of other animals that are harmful to human subsistence activities. His attention was particularly captured by the chickens and hens of Janzé, a species of black-colored poultry that bears the name of the Breton commune of the same name and which, until a few years earlier, had almost disappeared.
The few remaining individuals in France were found at the Ecomusée de Rennes. Biche, therefore, decided that it was appropriate to do a test. In agreement with the farmer who was suffering losses in his harvest, the animals were released onto the land affected by the noxious parasite, letting nature take its course.
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image credit: BayerAgri / Youtube
These birds, indeed, at ease in the orchards in search of insects and worms, seemed to be the perfect “pesticides” to fight against the small harmful insects which had endangered 90% of the fruits. It didn’t take long to realize that the test was a success . The parasite was quickly reduced by 80%, thanks to the chickens of Janzé and the chickens which, involuntarily but in an excellent way, did their duty.
So much so that the use of these farm animals has also been appreciated by other farmers, who have also used them to control giant hornets, dangerous creatures for bees and man. These “pesticide chickens” are able to catch many insects, even when climbing trees.
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image credit: Yann Gwilhoù/Wikimedia
In addition, the eggs produced by them are a positive “side effect” of absolutely natural and at the same time useful use. Bitauld’s idea even won a prize in a competition for innovative agricultural ideas , and today the man is working closely with agronomists from the National Institute for Agricultural Research to ensure that these biological solutions are of more and more widespread, precisely because they are offered by nature itself.
source used: France Bleu/Youtube