Using chemical pesticides is expensive and harmful to people and the environment, they kill the good insects that eat and kill the pest. They also contaminate soil and water.
Botanical pesticides contain naturally occurring substances that control pests and are easy to use, at low cost and do not leave any residues. These sprays should be used only when necessary and sprayed on plants that are affected by pests.
Benefits
Neem leaves contain natural pesticides that make plants taste bad discouraging feeding from pests like aphids, white flies and leaf hoppers.
Neem extract is absorbed through the leaves and the roots to the plant tissues killing leaf miners that feed inside the leaves and are normally not affected by sprays that cover the outside plant.
It is not harmful to the environment as they break down naturally and they do not destroy the good insects.
Extract preparation
When collecting neem fruits always pick the fully ripen fruits which are yellow in colour or the brown ones that have fallen down.
Soak the neem fruits for 24 hours and remove the pulp cover. Once the process is completed spread the seeds on a mat until they are dried. The pulp covers can be used in the compost.
Usage of neem extract
Make neem powder by grounding 5 Kgs of the fruits while covering your nose to prevent nausea or vomiting. Mix the ground powder with 10 litres of water, for better efficiency add 20 tablespoons of natural soap powder to allow the mixture stick on the plants.
Keep the solution should in the shade for 24 hours, stir the solution and filter after 24 hours 2 to 3 times. Use a cotton cloth while filtering to avoid blockage on the spray nozzle.
Before the crops flower and pods start forming spray the solution. Visible effects can only be seen as from 7 to 10 days. During the rainy season spray often.
