User:Camillemarie222/Beneficial weed

Article Draft
Bold is what I added to the existing article which are the parts not bolded

Lead
A beneficial weed is an invasive plant that has some companion plant effect, is edible, contributes to soil health, adds ornamental value, or is otherwise beneficial. These plants are normally not domesticated. However, some invasive plants, such as dandelions, are commercially cultivated, in addition to growing in the wild. Beneficial weeds include many wildflowers, as well as other weeds that are commonly removed or poisoned. The use of weeds that have obnoxious and destructive qualities can be found to be beneficial to fighting certain illness and thus used in medicine. 'For example Parthenium hysterophorus'' native to northern Mexico and parts of the US has been a huge issue for years for it toxicity and its ability to spread rapidly. In the past few decades research has found that the beneficial properties of Parthenium hysterophorus are sufficient, "used in traditional medicine to treat inflammation, pain fever and diseases like malaria dysentery." Also known to create biogas that can be used as a bioremediation agent to break down heavy metals and other pollutants.'''

Article body
'''The use of having certain weeds integrated around native or otherwise intended plants has been found to be beneficial in many ways. A 2015 study showed that the presence of other plants or "decoy-plants" made of green plastic, cardboard, or any other green materials that can significantly reduce the success rate of flying pests in locating their host plants.''' One scientific study found that simply having clover growing nearby reduced the odds of cabbage root flies hitting the right plant from 36% to 7%.[citation needed]  'Subterranean clover' as a host disruptor for brassica plants from insects such as White Butterflies, Cabbage Fly, Root Beetle, Mustard Beetle, Cabbage Moth etc by affecting their host plant selection process. When the breccia plants are three times higher than the subterranean clover 30% to 100% fewer insects were found on the host plants compared to those surrounded by bare soil. The differences in colonization of just insects appear sufficient to determine the lower numbers of insects found that where when host plants are surrounded and under sown with clover.'''
 * These pests locate plants primarily by scent, and any "weed" that has a strong scent can mask the scent of the hostplant and reduce the odds of the pest finding it. Examples of such plants include Crow Garlic and Ground Ivy, which have been found to effectively reduce infestations of Japanese beetles and caterpillars, respectively.
 * Additionally, when pests are near their target plant, they tend to avoid landing on bare earth and instead opt for the nearest green surface. Using "green mulch" or other types of greenery can also make it more difficult for pests to locate their target by making "inappropriate landings" on other plants.[citation needed]
 * Furthermore, If pests plan to lay eggs on a crop, the presence of other greenery can provide an additional line of defense. A study was done to find out if the cabbage root and onion fly are disrupted by aromatic plants such as the bedding plant Pelargonium x hortorum. The study found that flies that landed on host plants had a very different behavior than ones landed on the non host disruptor plant. The flies stayed 2-5 times longer on the leaf of a non host plant than on the host plant. 'Companion plants' and the aromatic plants used such as the Pelargonium x hortorum were no more disruptive to the fly species than the other plants used. The green leafs of the non host plant surrounding the main host plant were just as disruptive if not more than from odors and tastes. In conclusion pests will make short leaf-to-leaf flights before laying eggs and must land on the "right kind of leaf" enough times in sequence before they will risk laying their eggs. The more other greenery is nearby, the harder it is for them to remain on target and get enough reinforcement.