A Lot of Research papers and Material On Neem

Tuesday 1 November 2011

Six Natural Pesticides Used In Organic Farming

Organic Alternatives To Chemicals: Pest Control Tips, Methods And Techniques For Organic Farmers and Gardeners

Chemical free farming is not just a trend: It's the wave of the future. As long as health conscious folks are willing to pay more for organic fruits and vegetables, dedicated growers throughout the world will strive to meet ever-increasing demands.

Warning: Crop Pests Are Developing A Resistance To Chemical Pesticides

Over 500 species of pests have developed a resistance to a pesticide. [1] To combat increasing resistance, commercial farmers worldwide have started to apply more products, combine pesticides, or seek more toxic replacements. Many classes of synthetic pesticides exist throughout the world. The main classes include organochlorines, organophosphates, carbamates, and pyrethroids. Such pesticides are widely known to cause acute or chronic effects in humans and animals, especially in the reproductive, endocrine, and central nervous systems. [2]

It's time to stop the madness! Mother nature provides us with safe, nontoxic tools that don't "expire" or become less relevant through the ages.

Some of the Best and Worst Organic Pesticides and Pest Management Methods

Organic doesn't always mean "safe." The following pesticides are all permitted in organic farming, but not all of them are truly safe for humans, animals and the environment.

1.) Cedar Oil: THUMBS UP

ADVANTAGES: Quick kill, very low toxicity, residual effects up to a month, won't pollute soil or ground water

The popularity of cedar oil has exploded in recent years, but it's actually a very ancient method of pest control. Our pioneering forefathers blanketed their cabins with cedar needles to repel a wide variety of pests. The Egyptians used papaya leaves soaked in cedar oil in the mummification of their dead. Even today, Texas cattle fences are built with cedar posts, which naturally resist decay and pest infestation for 50 years or more. At the forefront of the cedar oil movement is a product marketed at WholesalePesticides.com. In tests ordered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the formula was tested against 29 other natural and chemical formulas and ranked number one. The outdoor version of this product is strong enough to battle crop pests on commercial farms yet safe enough to rid neighborhood yards of mosquitoes. In a press release, leading U.S.D.A. scientists proclaimed that this formula represents an historic breakthrough in the control of nematodes and crop pests.

2) Neem: THUMBS UP

Advantages: Slow Kill, Growth Inhibition, Low Toxicity, Residual Effects Up To Ten Days

Neem is a botanical pesticide extracted from the neem tree, a native of India. It is not highly toxic to animals, and it doesn't kill insects immediately. It works as an insect growth regulator. The treated insect usually can't molt to its next life stage. Neem can also deter egg laying. Neem has been used for more than 4,000 years for medicinal and pest control purposes in India and Africa. [3]

3.) Pyrethrum/Pyrethrins: THUMBS DOWN

With names like pyrethrum, pyrethrin and peremethrin, it's easy to be confused.

Pyrethrin is one of two liquid esters derived from Pyrethrum (feverfew). Pyrethrum is a similar insecticide derived from and chrysanthemum flowers. Permethrin is a SYNTHETIC version of pyrethrin. In other words, it is a man-made poison that is a copy of two poisons found in plants. [4]

Whatever the case, THE ONLY WORD TO REMEMBER IS NO. For a very long time, it was thought that these compounds were relatively harmless to animals. A growing body of evidence suggests otherwise. In an investigation conducted by ABC World News, traditional spot drop flea and tick medicines were found to cause more than 44,000 severe reactions in a single year, including seizures and multiple deaths. According to an EPA survey of poison control centers, pyrethroids cause more insecticide poisoning incidents than any other type of pesticides except for organophosphates.

SOME SIDE EFFECTS OF PYRETHROIDS [4]

Inhalation: coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, runny or stuffy nose, chest pain, or difficulty breathing.

Skin contact: rash, itching, or blisters.

Long term effects: disrupts the endocrine system by mimicking the female hormone, estrogen, thus causing excessive estrogen levels in females. In human males, its estrogenizing (feminizing) effects include lowered sperm counts. In both, it can lead to the abnormal growth of breast tissue, leading to development of breasts in males and cancerous breast tissue in both male and females.

Neurotoxic effects include: tremors, incoordination, elevated body temperature, increased aggressive behavior, and disruption of learning. Laboratory tests suggest that permethrin is more acutely toxic to children than to adults.

Other: A known carcinogen. There is evidence that pyrethroids harm the thyroid gland. Causes chromosomal damage in hamsters and mice; deformities in amphibians; blood abnormalities in birds. [4]

4.) Nicotine Sulfate: THUMBS DOWN

Nicotine sulfate carries a DANGER warning. It's readily absorbed through the skin, which makes it one of the most toxic botanical pesticides to warm-blooded animals. As a tobacco extract, it's one of the oldest botanical insecticides in use today. It kills insects by interfering with the transmitter substance between nerves and muscles. [3]

5.) Sabadilla: NOT BAD

Sabadilla is a botanical insecticide derived from the seeds of the sabadilla lily. It is considered among the least toxic of botanical insecticides, but its dust can be irritating to the nose and eyes. No residue is left after application of sabadilla because it breaks down rapidly in the sunlight. [3] Therefore, the residual effects aren't as powerful as neem or cedar oil.

6.) Rotenone: THUMBS DOWN

Rotenone is like a wolf in sheep's clothing. It doesn't pose a great risk to humans and animals, but it's extremely toxic to fish. The EPA approves of using Rotenone in cases where "fish management" is desired; however, everyday farmers who aren't seeking to control fish populations should be aware that It gets into ground water and seeps into local lakes and rivers. Random "fish management" is not a good thing.

7.) Companion Farming: THUMBS WAY UP!

Companion farming is the cultivation of certain kinds of plants in the same area, especially if one species will benefit from another. For example, planting garlic among tomatoes will help control aphids. Consult the following list of insects to see which plants will repel them. [5]

Ants

* Pennyroyal
* Spearmint
* Southernwood
* Tansy.

Aphids

* Anise
* Chives
* Coriander
* Garlic
* Nasturtium
* Pennyroyal
* Petunia
* Spearmint
* Southernwood
* Tansy

Cabbage Maggot

* Hemp
* Mint
* Tomato
* Rosemary
* Sage.

Cabbage Moth

* Catnip
* Celery
* Hemp
* Hyssop
* Nasturtium
* Rosemary
* Sage
* Southernwood
* Thyme
* Wormwood

Carrot Fly

* Black salsify
* Coriander
* Rosemary
* Sage
* Salsify
* Wormwood.

Cinch Bug

*Soybean

Colorado Potato Beetle

* Dead nettle
* Flax
* Green beans
* Horseradish

Cucumber Beetle

* Radish
* Tansy

Japanese Beetle

* Garlic
* Pelargonium geraniums
* Larkspur, Rue
* Tansy

Leafhopper

* Pelargonium geraniums
* Petunia.

Mexican Bean Beetle

* Marigold
* Petunia
* Potato
* Rosemary
* Summer Savory.

Plum Curculio

Plum curculio

* Garlic

Rose Chafer

* Pelargonium geraniums
* Onion
* Petunia.

Squash Bug

* Nasturtium
* Petunia.

Striped Pumpkin Beetle

* Nasturtium

Whitefly

* Marigold
* Nasturtium
* Nicandra (Peruvian Ground Cherry.)

Wireworm

*White Mustard

Moths And Larvae

Cutworm

* Tansy

Fruit Tree Moth

* Southernwood

Tomato hornworm

* Borage
* Marigold
* Opal Basil

Parasites

Eelworm

* French & African Marigold

Mites

* Chives
* Garlic
* Onion

Nematode

* Asparagus
* Dahlia
* Calendula, French & African Marigold, Salvis

Slugs & Snails

* Prostrate Rosemary
* Wormwood

Just Say NO to the Most Common Pesticides Used In Commercial Farming!

Organochlorines: DDT, Toxaphene, Dieldrin, Aldrin

Organophosphates: Diazinon, Glyphosate, Malathion

Carbamates: Carbofuran, Aldicarb, Carbaryl

Pyrethroids: Fenpropanthrin, Deltamethrin, Cypermethrin

Bibliography

[1] grapes.msu.edu. How pesticide resistance develops. Excerpt from:
Larry Gut, Annemiek Schilder, Rufus Isaacs and Patricia McManus. Fruit
Crop Ecology and Management, Chapter 2: "Managing the Community of
Pests and Beneficials."

[2] http://www.bt.ucsd.edu/synthetic_pesticide.html

[3] http://www.colostate.edu/Dept/CoopExt/4dmg/VegFruit/organic.htm (Some Pesticides Permitted in Organic Gardening. Laura Pickett Pottorff, Colorado State University Cooperative Extension horticulturist and plant pathologist.)

[4] http://www.anapsid.org/pyrethroids.html (Melissa Kaplan's Herp Care Collection, ©2000 Melissa Kaplan)

[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_repellent_plants

 

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