Chitin, Chitosan, Chitinase - an organic pest control arsenal

[Shadesz]

Tasty,
Very interesting thanks.

O'natural,
The supplier I have used is a wholesaler that only sales to businesses. Google search like you mentioned is probably the best bet.

@All,
Just to note: I may have been mistaken when I said that chitosan is produced by chitinase + chitin. I can't find the literature on it... ? I swear I remember reading that somewhere. Regardless, fermenting chitin still works well on plants and may be the best true organic chitin based solution.

[pepperhead212]

I tried that to kill SVBs, but it didn't work (nothing has for me!). It worked OK for slugs, but it didn't really do much for tomato problems - the other things I tried it for. In fact, I had almost forgotten about it! The differences between the various related chemicals I did not know; in fact, I had not heard about them.

[TastyofHasty]

I did find a chitosan product on eBay, sold out of Hong Kong. Don't know how much chitosan is in it, or if it would work other than the way it says it does, for removing pesticides and heavy metals from fruits and vegetables ... anyway, here it is if anyone is interested ...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=290656113668

[TastyofHasty]

Well, I bought the stuff on eBay; and it finally has arrived! I was a bit freaked when I saw the postage, considering I only paid $8.99 for this deal so how did that pay for all that postage(?):



But the back of the envelope made me realize that postage is in Hong Kong Dollars!



The power of the internet, yee haw!

[ovenbird]

Can I make chitinase from crushed cicada shells? If so, then the compost from my 6 cubic feet of Japanese beetle bodies should also be a good source of all three substances.

[Shadesz]

Ovenbird,
I don't see why not... The wiki page on chitin even posts a picture of a Cicada...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitin#...gical_function

TasteofHasty,
Sorry I wasn't subbed to this thread. Has the product helped you this summer?

[Gemini Jim]

Originally Posted by ovenbird

Can I make chitinase from crushed cicada shells? If so, then the compost from my 6 cubic feet of Japanese beetle bodies should also be a good source of all three substances.

The chitin is in the shells. The chitinase is produced by organisms that digest the chitin. I'm sure you have the right reactions going on, the question is how to isolate and stabilize the chitosan in sufficient quantities to make an effective pesticide.

[Anthony32]

Nice sharing Shadesz. I have read your all posts and i have found very great and creative informations regarding protecting from organic pest attack. It is really useful and i really want to keep following it.