CAIRO: The microorganisms found in soil are integral to the foundation of Egypt's agricultural future, said Moataz Mahmoud Saad, professor of microorganisms in the National Research Center. Microorganisms can be used as a natural pesticide, replacing chemical alternatives that have been shown to be carcinogenic, Saad said. Microorganisms are microscopic living beings. They can be both useful and harmful, depending on the type of organism, but useful microorganisms could revolutionize agriculture, he added. We must reduce the use of chemical pesticides in agricultural products, Saad explained, adding that such pesticides have historically caused damage to the kidneys and lungs. Saad put grape saplings into a microbial suspension (mixture) for two or three hours before planting. The suspension was also added to the soil itself. The result of the experiment showed the possibility that typical plant diseases declined in the subject sapling, particularly in the root rot.
