Developing & assessing the efficacy of Ayurvedic Insecticidal & Insect Repellent plants useful in Agriculture & Horticulture under laboratory field conditions.

Title: Developing & assessing the efficacy of Ayurvedic Insecticidal & Insect Repellent plants useful in Agriculture & Horticulture under laboratory field conditions.

Dr. Sanjay Thonte   had submitted his dissertation in 2000-01 year, for P.G. degree, M. Phil Ayurveda. His guide was Dr. Prof.  J. K. Barde &research center was Tilak Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya, Pune (M.S.) India.

          Dr. Thonte had done an experimental study of Vidanga (Embelia ribes) & Neem (Melia azadiracta) aqueous solutions for their ‘Insecticidal’ and Insect Repellent activity.

          Four fields & twelve plots were selected around Latur town of Maharashatra & four commonly used vegetables like tomato, potato, cabbage & onion were cultivated in them for this study.

          These were divided into three groups for each field & each crop such as – Blank control, chemical spray of Dizinone & Thiodan & Ayurvedic herbal insecticidal spry of Vidanga & Neem decoction 50/50 blend mixed in well water in a ratio of 1:10. Neutral surfactant like liquid soap was added for smooth & uniform spray in the form of ‘mist’.

          Duration of total experiment was five to six months 

Criteria’s for assessment were total yield, the population of insect pests or their ‘larvae/ caterpillar’ etc.

          The research work was concluded as follows-

Herbal insecticidal spry of Vidanga & Neem decoction 50/50 blend mixed in well water in a ratio of 1:10 showed nearly same results as like Chemical spray ,but with added benefits as low cost & without any Toxicity to consumer of vegetables.

1)                          According to data, one can say that Ayurvedic herbal spray was very near in effectiveness to chemical synthesis sprays.

2)                          In Ayurvedic herbal insecticides no toxicity was found but chemical synthetic sprays are known to harmful to humans & domestic animals, birds etc.

3)                          Ayurvedic Preparations was found cost effective, easy to handle, easy to prepare.

4)                          In case of tomato, cabbage & onion crops, Ayurvedic insecticide is admirable but less effective in comparison with chemical spray.

5)                          In case of potato crop, ayurvedic preparation was failed to save the crop.

6)                          Chemical pesticides had killed the insect, but the Ayurvedic preparations made the insects & caterpillars feeble, dazed, paralytic & miserable. They tend to go away from the plant but do not die instantaneously. They showed anti- feedant activity.