| Neem: An Effective and Eco-Friendly Solution to Project Crops |
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NEEM :AN EFFECTIVE AND ECO-FRIENDLY SOLUTION TO PROTECT CROPS By: Satya Vir and S.S. Yadav Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur – 342 003, India The use of Neem cake as a manure is well known in agriculture. Neem cake not only provides nutrition to the plant, but also controls soil-borne pests, diseases, and nematodes. It also acts as a nitrification inhibitor, helps reparatory activity, increases the population of earthworms and produces organic acids, which help in removing the alkalinity of the soil. Neem cake contains more sulphur (1.07 to 1.30 %) than any other cake. Neem cake is an excellent fertilizer, several times richer in plant nutrients. It not only acts as an organic nitrogen manure but also a nitrification inhibitor. Thus reducing nitrogen loss through leaching and denitrification. Neem cake is a potential source of organic manure. The average nutrient content of neem non-edible oil cake in comparison with other non-edible cake is given below: Name Composition (%) Non-edible Oil Cake N P2O5 K2O Neem Cake 5.2 1.0 1.4 Castor Cake 4.3 1.8 1.3 Mahua Cake 5.2 1.0 1.4 Sunflower Cake 4.9 1.4 1.2 Neem seed pallets standardized with retention of 12-15% neem oil and 1% eucalyptus oil have been developed. This product when applied @ 200-250kg/ha has been found to be very effective for the management of termites Kharif pulses viz mungbean, cowpea and mothbean crops. These pallets contain 0.25 to 0.4 % of azadirachtin and have strong pungent odor and remain effective in the field for more than six months after broadcasting on the site. This pallets does not require any special treatment or soil operation. Product is very easy to prepare, eco-friendly and also adds manure to the soil. The composition of the pallets besides azadirachtin is product is listed in Table1. Table - 1. Composition and Mineral Contents of Pallets Composition Percentage Mineral Constituents Mg/100g Nitrogen 6 - 7% Phosphorus 75 - 90 P2O5 1 - 1.3% Calcium 385 - 405 K2O 1.4 - 15% Magnesium 180 - 200 Crude Protein 12 - 40% Iron 8 - 9 Cabohydrate 22 - 50% Zinc 7.5 - 8.2 Crude Fibre 8 - 27% Copper 2.2 - 2.5 Fat 2 - 13 Manganese 2.1 - 2.2 Neem oil emulsifier another neem based product has also been developed under National Network on Integrated Development of Neem. Neem oil emulsifier prepared by using Laffoonics-N-405 emulsifier works as ready to spray neem product was found equally effective as commercial neem pesticides against pod borer Heliothis armigera, Castor semilooper Achaea janata, tobacco caterpillar Spodoptera littura and beat armyworm Spodoptera exigua. This formulation proved toxic as well as growth inhibitor resulting larval-pupal intermediates, deformed larvae and pupae, pupal adult intermediates and deformed adults (Fig.3 and 4). In case of H. armigera, larval period was prolonged to a maximum of 30.62days as compared to 18.25 days in control when fed on a diet treated with neem oil emulsifier. Larval weight in treated diet was reduced to a minimum of 0.310g and larval length 22.92mm while a maximum of 0.527 g larval weight and 35.42mm larval length was recorded on untreated diet. There was significant increase in larval and pupal mortality as compared to control. Pupal mortality was also maximum on the diet treated with neem emulsifier that varied from 18.65 to 24.32 percent. Adult emergence was also minimum on the diet treated with neem oil. Fecundity was reduced by 45-55% in the adults obtained from the diet treated with this product. Study thus highlights the need for better understanding in the use of these eco-friendly products that are efficient antifeedant, repellent, growth regulators as well as toxic to pest attack. The extracts are cost effective with an advantage of raw material being locally available that can be easily utilized by the farmers for its use in pest management, as and when required.
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