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A project has been taken up in the country for the development of safe and environment friendly pesticides utilizing the neem seeds. The programme entitled “Development and Production of Neem Products as Environment Friendly Pesticides,” is being implemented by the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals with the financial assistance of United Nations Development (UNDP) and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). The objective of this programme is to promote production, processing and use of neem based products, thereby aiding waste land development, generating rural employment (especially for women) and providing farmers with eco-friendly and biodegradable pesticides.
The Neem Kernel Aqueous Extract (NKAE) technology can be used by farmers to prepare safe and environment friendly Neem-based pesticides in their homes at a very low cost.
The Neem project is being implemented at two locations namely at Nimpith, West Bengal through Vivekanand Institute of Biotechnology(VIB) and at Nagpur, Maharashtra through Neem Foundation. As envisaged under the sub-programme’s workplan, a regional workshop titled ‘Development and Production of Neem Products as Environment Friendly Pesticides’ was organized by VIB, which was attended by participants representing various grassroot-level NGOs, officials of the State Agriculture Department, lead farmers, and a few private companies. The various components of the Workshop included an exhibition on Neem, visits to Scientific Trial and Demonstration sites, a farmers’ meeting, and a technical session for presentation of papers on the sub-programme’s activities.
Scientific Trials of the Neem Kernel Aqueous Extract (NKAE) on six crops (brinjal, cabbage, chilli, tomato, cauliflower and cucumber) are either underway or have been completed at the trial fields of VIB and the neighbouring Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK). In addition, scientific trials on betalvine (paan) are also underway in Sagar block. VIB has been carrying out the collection and analysis of data from the trials and the reports are being prepared. Preliminary results from the trials on brinjal were also presented at the regional workshop.
Over 450 field demonstrations of the NKAE have been organized on farmers’ plots across the project area since August, 2003 with the assistance of nodal persons (extension workers). Monitoring of the demonstrations was carried out regularly. Crops such as bittergourd, pointed gourd, tomato, cauliflower, cabbage, cucumber, ladyfinger, chilli, beans, potato, mustard, and brinjal were covered. Thirty two demonstrations were also organized on betelvine (paan).
Training programmes for nodal persons and farmers have been organized on a regular basis. A large number of posters and leaflets giving details of the NKAE processing technology have also been distributed in the project area.
At the Neem Foundation Site in Nagpur, Maharashtra scientific trials of NKAE are being conducted on brinjal, Indian bean, cotton and tur. In case of ladyfinger, the plants were found to be infected with Yellow Vein Mosaic, calling for repetition of this trial in the Kharif season.
The results of the first two seasons which were of demonstrative type were encouraging . There is good participation of rural women in this program with work relating to collection and depulping of neem fruits. The neem based pesticide is presently being used on vegetable crops (esp. tomato, beetle leaves and other vegetables) which are the main crops in the command area of the project. As a result of this the farmers have adopted the same and in the current season the results are impressive. The first phase of the program is coming to a close and the next phase is being worked out. As a result of this project, the farmers will be in position to prepare and use environment friendly pesticides from neem. This would, to a large extent, help is solving the problem of chemical pesticides residues in food items as also provide inexpensive pesticides to the farmers.
As part of the project plan, two regional and a national level workshops were organized. This provided a good opportunity for bringing the developments that have taken place under this project to the notice of the stake holders and also the industry which could possibly participate in spreading the use of the technology development under this programme. (PIB Features)
*Secretary, Department of Fertilizers
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