Vegetative Endotherapy—Advances, Perspectives, and Challenges

Abstract

Vegetative endotherapy has shown satisfactory results in replacing conventional techniques for crop production material applications, such as spraying or via soil, in trees of perennial species. This review presents an overview of concepts and classifications for existing injection methods and covers applications from articles published in the last eighteen years on endotherapeutic techniques. An Excel interactive dashboard as supplementary material with data segmentation and filters to facilitate understanding of the data is provided. The indicators more relevant to researchers and producers, including the tree species evaluated, which were deciduous trees (24%), conifers (11%), ornamental (11%), and fruit trees (54%), are outlined. The most used products were insecticides, fungicides, and antibiotics, which are discussed. Pressurized and nonpressurized technologies were evaluated based on trunk opening, interface, and injection methods. And finally, an approach to good practices in precision agriculture is also discussed.

The Advancement and Prospects of the Tree Trunk Injection Technique in the Prevention and Control of Diseases and Pests

“…The machinery for injecting tree trunks with pesticides has undergone nearly a century of development, progressing from gravity-based, pressure-based, and hydraulic to mechanized methods [49,62]. This evolution has resulted in faster pesticides infusion, reduced labor intensity, and the emergence of various injection techniques [48], as depicted in Table 1.…”

Pesticide Translocation Using Nonpressurized and Pressurized Endotherapeutic Treatments in Coconut Palms

“…Vegetative endotherapy is used to treat perennial trees, control diseases and pests, or apply fertilizers, growth inductors, and other inputs affecting their growth and development. This technique consists of applying chemical solutions into the trunks of trees via perforations in the trunk/stem and distributing them throughout the plant via the photosynthetic cycle [1][2][3][4]. There are two ways of applying solutions inside the trees: (1) the Horticulturae 2024, 10, 386 2 of 16 nonpressurized method and (2) the pressurized method.…”

The role of urban forest and climate change

“…In order to preserve urban trees, it is necessary for public policies to guarantee the maintenance and development of reforestation in cities, which is fundamental for the population's quality of life (Ferreira et al, 2023). The main obligations of public policies to preserve urban trees include (1) Promoting the planting and maintenance of trees in urban areas, (2) Protecting existing trees and (3) Educating the population about the importance of urban trees.…”

“…Therefore, the evaluation of these plants should be carried out in relation to preventive and curative treatment. As Ferreira et al (2023) proposed, as this is an urban area, treatment using vegetative endotherapy, where products are applied directly to the stems of plants, should be a viable alternative in cases of disease and pests. This would replace conventional treatments such as spraying and applying products to the soil, which are unsuitable for populated environments.…”

“…Consequently, studies need to be carried out on better bioformulation using endotherapeutic treatments in urban areas to avoid eliminating plants, which goes against the proposal to cool heat islands. Endotherapy treatments are suggested by some Nature Based-Solutions (NBS) principles in relation to sustainable agricultural practices (Ferreira et al, 2023, Ferreira et al, 2022.…”