Bio-Pesticides and Bio-Fertilizers Aid T

 

BIO-PESTICIDES & BIO-FERTI BIO-FERTILIZERS LIZERS Aid to Eco-friendly Farming 

Dr. P.B. Dharmasena,  National Consultant Consultant (Agriculture and Water Management) Management)  March 2016 

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Introduction Sri Lanka’s farming systems particularly rice, other field crops and home gardening have evolved over thousands of years including inc luding a rich array of farming far ming systems and the cultivated plants such as rice, grains, vegetables, fruits, spices etc. and and livestock. livestock. New crop varieties emerged formally and informally. informally. In addition, many many farmers farmers have selected selected local landraces. landraces. The long long history of cultivation, presence of cultural diversity and wide range of ecological landscape situations present in the country have resulted in a wide variety of farming  practices in Sri Lanka. Traditional knowledge in agriculture not documented and neglected without adoption has been largely lost. There are still some food materials, which are generally consumed by peasant sector remained with them. Traditional seeds were preserved and regularly used in the past but have been replaced by introduced varieties during last few decades. The Green Revolution led most of our farmers to move away from traditional farming to modern agriculture. agriculture. According to International Labour Organization (ILO), every year over the world, more than 400,000 are killed and another 35 million people are made ill  by agrochemicals. In Sri Lanka, according to a report in 2002 by the t he Ministry of Health (MOH), pesticide poisoning is the seventh leading cause of death in Sri Lanka and accounted for 4 % of o f all deaths in the ccountry. ountry. Over 2.5 million people in Sri Lanka are engaged in agriculture and pesticide is the leading cause of death in Nuwara Eliya and Polonnaruwa Districts and the second leading cause in Hambantota and Anuradhapura Districts. In 2002, over 17,000 cases of pesticide poisoning were reported to the MOH, out of which, nearly 1,500 people died. These are direct poisoning and no one has investigated indirect poisoning of these agrochemicals. a grochemicals. Many countries in the world have prohibited the use of pesticides. They use organic techniques for their cultivations, instead of using pesticides. Use of agrochemicals causes deaths from Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Although it is still debated in Sri Lanka it has been proven in other countries. Thus, it is high time to promote the use of bio-pesticides and bio-fertilizers at least in our project areas. It cannot be expected a successful crop production from a farmer who is not healthy and strong.

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Bio-Pesticides & Bio-Fertilizers Bio-pesticides are certain types of pesticides derived from such natural materials as animals, plants, bacteria, and certain minerals. Plants are, in effect, natural laboratories in which a great number of chemicals are biosynthesized. Many  plants have developed natural, biochemical mechanisms to defend themselves from weed competition and animal, insect and fungal attacks. Some of these chemicals discourage feeding by insects and other herbivores. Others provide  protection or even immunity from diseases caused by some pathogens. Still others help plants compete for resources by discouraging competition among different plant species. By studying the diverse chemistries of many different  plant species, scientists have discovered many useful compounds compounds that can be used as bio-pesticides.

Bio-pesticides include naturally occurring substances that control pests, microorganisms that control pests and pesticidal substances produced by plants containing added genetic material.

Bio-pesticides, used to replace chemical pesticides, have active ingredients that cone from natural materials like animals, plants, bacteria, and certain minerals. Unlike synthetic chemical pesticides derived from petroleum products, the microorganisms/ substances in bio-pesticides works slowly. However, they do not harm natural enemies and the environment while providing effective control of specific target pests such as weeds, insects, diseases etc. The active ingredients of  bio-pesticides can be microbial microbial or plant substances that control pests. pests. The first botanical insecticide dates back to the 17th century, when it was shown that nicotine from tobacco tobacco leaves killed plum beetles. Today, there are a number of bio-pesticide plant extracts being marketed as insecticides. These products fall into several different classes:

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Insect Growth Regulators: reproductive stage.

Plant extracts that prevent insects from reaching the

Feeding Deterrents: A compound compound that, that, once ingested by the insect pest, causes it to stop feeding and eventually, eventually, to starve to death. Crop damag damagee is inhibited and the insect eventually starves to death. Repellents:

Typically compounds which release odors that is unappealing or

irritating to insects. insects. Examples include garlic garlic or pepper-based pepper-based insecticides. Confusants: Compounds that imitate food food sources sources and and are used as traps or decoys to draw damaging insects away from crops. Confusants Confusants can also be formulated as concentrated sprays designed to overwhelm insects with so many sources of stimuli that they the y cannot locate the crop.  Not only are plant extracts used directly as insecticides, but they are used also as a source for synthetic insecticides based on analogues developed in the laboratory. Scientists have modified molecules found found in plants to be more toxic or more persistent. Bio-fertilizers are living microorganisms that improve the health and quality of soils that help the plants obtain the necessary nutrients. The soil becomes more nutritious and helps the seeds and roots grow to their full potential. Bio-fertilizers activate the microorganisms that are found in the soil, thus restoring the soils' natural fertility and protecting it against soil diseases and moisture stresses.

Bio-fertilizer is a population of a specific micro-organism or a group of beneficial micro-organisms for enhancing the productivity of soil. It can provide nutrients to the plant either by fixing atmospheric nitrogen or by solubilizing soil  phosphorous or by stimulating plant growth through synthesis of growth  promoting substance. su bstance. Bio-fertilizers based on renewable energy e nergy source are cost effective, eco-friendly and can help to economize on the high investment needed for chemical fertilizer.  Following benefits can be obtained through the use of bio-fertilizer     

         

It increases the crop yield by 20-30 %. It stimulates plant growth. It activates the soil so il biologically. It restores natural fertility It provides protection against drought and some soil borne diseases.

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Preparation of Bio-Pesticides & Bio-Fertilizer

Instant garlic mixture Preparation (for one acre): Garlic 250 gms Ginger 250 gms Green chilli 100 gms  Neem oil ½ litre Washing soap

Scrape the soap and rigorously mix with the neem oil. Then add separately crushed ginger, garlic and green chilli and add water up to one liter. Close the container with a piece of cloth and keep for about 5 hours. Then dilute the mixture up to 20 liters liters and filter to obtain a sediment less solution. This is now ready to apply in paddy field to control pest such as paddy bug, brown plant hopper, thrips, gall midge, leaf folder, stem st em borer etc. For vegetables dilute up to 30 liters.

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Ginger, garlic and green chilli  

Mix well 

Another insect repellant

 Neem ( Azadirachta indica indica)

Castor ( Ricinus  Ricinus communis communis)

Vara (Calotropis gigantea) crown flower

Nochchi (Vitex negundo L.)

Add leaves and tender stems of neem, crown flower, castor, nika (nochchi in Tamil) etc. into a container and apply 10 liters of cow urine and 10 liters of water. Dilute after one week to the ratio 1 : 20 and spray to the crop.

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For insects in paddy fields Within few days after sowing various pests can be found in the paddy field.

Paddy bug 

Brown plant hopper

Thrips 

Gall midge

Leaf folder  

Stem borer 7

 

Following practices are recommended to adopt for paddy pests. 

  Place a bunch of ‘gas kappetiya’ ( Croton laccifercus) leaves flow inlet of the paddy plot. Mount gas kappetiy kappetiyaa branches here and there in the plot.

Gas kappetiya   

P lace therein neem leaves,   Make a hole at the flow inlet of the paddy plot. Place goda kaduru leaves, daluk leaves, lime/ orange leaves, andu leaves, kalawel leaves, maduru thala etc.

Goda kaduru (Strychnos nux-vomica)

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Daluk ( Euphorbia antiquorum antiquorum), Chaturakalli in Tamil

Andu kola ( Eryngium foetidum), Piranga in Tamil

Kala wel (Derris scandens) 

Maduruthala (Ocimum tenuiflorum) Surasa in Tamil

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  Grind chilli well with water and make a strong solution. Spray this after adequately diluted to the paddy field to control pest. Select more pungent chilli species such as kochchi ( Capsicum frutescens), heen miris, naimiris etc.

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  Crush the barks of rukaththana ( Alstonia scholaris) tree and mix it with water. Spray this solution to control paddy insects.

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  Mix flower extract of Merigold (Tagets erecta), with water and spray to  paddy field to control hoppers and moths

Merigold (Tagets erecta)

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  To control thrips in paddy fields, crush daluk leaves and mix the juice with water. Place this solution in the flow inlet of the paddy plot.

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  To protect seed paddy from insect damage, crush Wada kaha (  Acorus Acorus calamus L.  In Tamil - Vashambu), Geta tumba ( Leucas zelanicus  – In

Tamil - Thumbai) and balathana ( Eleusine indica), mix with cow dung and add water to prepare a liquid mixture. Seed paddy is immersed in this mixture and kept for one day.

Wadakaha

Balathana

Geta tumba

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For any crop insects:   Extract leaf juice of neem, adathoda, nika (Nochchi in Tamil), 

maduruthala (Surasa in Tamil), andu (Piranga in Tamil) Ta mil) and keppetiya (Croton laccifercus) and add crushed crushed seeds of neem, ka karanda randa and tubers of niyagala and wadakaha. Mix all with water in container and keep for few days. Then add sugar spray the filtered mixture to the crop. 

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Add Lemon oil and oil of kumburu seeds to the salt water and spray it to the crop.

wat er and spray   Mix crushed neem seeds with water   Steam braise the neem seeds and crush to get the juice and spray for controlling plant hoppers, worms, snails, flies, insects, bugs etc.

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gar lic paste and spray   Crush chillies with strong pungency, mix with garlic soa p solution vigourously and spray   Mix neem oil with soap   To protect the crop from pest damage prepare a mixed leaf juice of kahambilya (Girardinia diversifolia), gandapana ( Lantana  Lantana camara camara), kalawel, andu, maduruthala, anoda ( Annona squamosa squamosa L.) and nika and ferment it with tobacco leaf juice for few days and spray.

Gandapana

Anoda

Caterpillar can bezerumbet  controlled by habarala spraying ( Alocasia a mix mixture ture macrorrhiza of crushed tubers t ubers ofhott  wal)  inguru ( Zingiber  Zingiber ) and macror rhiza (L.) Schott  Sc stirred in water.

wal inguru

habarala  12

 

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  To control black ants in the crop, spray crust extract of araliya floweres diuted with water.

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  To control aphids and catepillars crush together papaya buds, barks of milla, mimoza, tobacco, wara (Calotropis gigantea) leaves, wadakaha rhizomes and cappetiya leaves and mix with soap water and spray.

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  To control diamondback diamondback moth, crushed kalawel is mixed with with water and sprayed to the crop.

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  To control diamondback moth and red bug crushed wild sunflower leaves are mixed with water and sprayed to the crop.

Diamondback moth 

wild sunflowr

  To control leaf curl disease of o f chilli, mix the leaves of o f gansooriya (Thespesia populnea), kappatiya (Croton laccifercus), adathoda ( Adhatoda vasic vasica a) and gliricidia with fresh cow dung in a container and keep for two weeks and then spray it to the crop. 

Thespesia populnea 

Adhatoda vasica

  To control leaf curl disease of chilli, mix the juice of stinging nettle (Tragia hispida) leaves with fresh cow dung in a container and keep for 23 days and then spray it to the crop. 

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Leaf curl of chilli 

Stinging nettle 

  To control thrips in onion, crush B’onion and garlic and mix with water and spray in morning and evening

For shoot borer damage in brinjal 

  Crush wadakaha, ginger and leaves of nika, maduruthala, adhatoda and

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get the juice mixture and mix with water and spray   Keep the juice mixture of kalawel, walinguru and gandapana for 2-3 days and spray

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  Keep the mixture of sulphur and fresh cow dung for 2-3 days and spray   Add sulphur to the juice of habarala ( Alocasia macrorrhiza macrorrhiza (L.) Schott ) tuber and spray

Shoot borer damage in brinjal

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Fungal Diseases Control

Fungal diseases gar lic and andanahiriya (Crotalaria retusa) leaves with   Mix juices of garlic

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soap solution and spray

  Select juice of one or two of following and mix it with garlic juice to control

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fungal diseases of crops: o  Leaves of pigeon pea, thampala (amaranthus), ipil ipil, caster,  Impatiens flaccida), gotukola, gliricidia, kapparawalliya kudalu ( Impatiens (Plectranthus amboinicus) nika and adhatoda and ginger rhizome,

Andanahiriya

Kapparawalliya

Amaranthus

Kudalu  15

 

Fruit trees   When you find fruit trees (jak fruit, bread fruit) are not bearing, set fire 

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under the tree without dama damaging ging the tree.   If papaya tree is not bearing injure the tree bark at about 5ft height

  If papaya tree is not bearing, prune it obtain branches. Remove branches keeping one to get pods.

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  If fruit trees such as butter fruit, kamaranga are not bearing, injure the big  branches by beating beating with a wooden rod.

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  If citrus trees such as orange, lime are not bearing, hang coconut husks to lower the branches

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  To obtain large size fruits of pomegranate and mango, apply dry fish soaked water

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  For blooming fruit trees: o  Apply cow milk mixed with ghee to the bottom of the tree o  Apply fish soaked water to the bottom of the tree o  Grind dry goat dung, cow dung and bat waste and apply   To obtain large size fruits, grind aralu (Terminalia chebula), bulu (Terminalia belerica) and nelli (Phyllanthus embelica) and smoke the tree.

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Aralu (Terminali Terminalia a chebula) 

Bulu(Termin Terminalia alia belerica)

 Nelli (Phyllanthus embelica) 

  For vigorous growth and bearing of grape, grind poultry dung and apply to

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the crop

  In order to obtain large size fruits cover the banana bunch with a wet gunny

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 bag bearing jak fruits, crush madu (Cycas nathorstii) leaves and roots and mix   For with crushed wadakaha and spray to the tree roots. o f habarala habarala ( Alocasia macrorrhiza macrorrhiza   To control termites mix juice of

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(L.) Schott ) tuber and walinguru ( Zingiber zerumbet  zerumbet ) rhizomes with water and spray

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Madu (Cycas nathorstii)

Fish Amino Acid Fertilizer Fish Amino Acid (FAA) is an effective organic liquid fertilizer. It is prepared from fish and solid jaggery. Do not use liquid type jaggery. Equal amounts of fish and jiggery are mixed together and put into a pot or a plastic container. Cover it from piece of cloth and store sto re it under shade for about 15 days. Application – You can apply this to soil or to leaves of the plant. Do not directly apply this without diluting. Apply 20 – 30 times water depending on the type of crop.

Add some water and mix it thoroughly

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 No overpowering stench stench

Liquid Fertilizer  Nitrogen is rich in liquid fertilizer. In addition addition it contains potassium, phosphorous and micro-nutrients, therefore plants treated with liquid fertilizer do not show symptoms of nutrient deficiency de ficiency.. Preparation of the solution for one acre:      

           

Shoots and leaves of gliricidia – 25 kg Dry citronella leaves – 5 kg Fresh cow dung – 10 kg Shoots and leaves of gandapana ( Lantana camara camara) – 4kg Shoots and leaves of Moringa – 500 gm Soil – 2kg

gliricidia 

citronella 

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 Lantana camara camara 

Moringa 

Methodology: 

  Stir well fresh cow dung with water in a container. Then mix other substances into it and keep for 14 days. During this period stir the t he solution for about 5 minutes in three times a day by using a wood stick. Bubbling will take place from the very first day and odour will disappear after few days.

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bag   Cover the container always with a wet gunny bag

  Everything will be decomposed during 21 days. In this process, nutrients, hormones and minerals will be released to water.

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  Stop stirring after 14 days, then undecomposed materials will come to the surface and suspend as a cake.

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  Then after another 7 days filter through a piece of cloth and dilute 2 – 3 times with water.   As fungicidal and insecticidal substances are in the solution, crop damage due to diseases will be minimal. It is recommended to spray 7 – 10 times to a crop. The solution can be kept for about 3 months if stored in black  bottles or in bottles covered covered with black polythene. polythene.

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This solution is suitable for leafy vegetables, vegetables and for paddy. Dilute 1: 5-6 times when spraying to crops such as brinjal, to tomato, mato, pumpkin pumpkin,, cucumber etc. in order to enhance the effectiveness dissolve 100 gms of soap in 10 liters of solution. At the end remove the floating cake and keep for the next time to prepare the solution. It will act as a culture and within 14 days the solution can be prepared.

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‘Pancha Gavya’ The Sanskrit term Panchagavya means "five products from the cow". These are cow dung, cow's urine, milk, curd and ghee. By mixing all these ingredients in equal proportion and allowing the mixture to ferment will produce Panchagavya.   The three direct constituents are cow dung, urine, and milk; the two derived  products are curd and ghee. These are mixed in proper ratio and then t hen allowed to ferment. Sometimes, you may find 'Panchagavya' wrongly pronounced as 'Panchakavya'. However, the correct pronunciation is Panchagavya. Gavya means related to cow and Kavya means poetry. However, improved Panchagavya consists of nine products i.e. cow dung, cow urine, milk, curd, jaggery, ghee,    banana, tender coconut, coconut, and water.

Cow dung

Cow urine

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Cow milk

Curd made from cow milk

Ghee from cow milk

wide mouthed earthen pot

t he following: For making approx. 20 litres of panchagavya you need the following:          

                   

Fresh cow dung - 5kg  Fresh cow’s urine – 3 litres  Cow’s milk – 2 litres  Cow’s curd – 2 litres  Cow’s ghee – 500 gms  Jaggery – 500 gms  Water or sugarcane juice - 3 litres  Ripe banana fruit - 1 bunch (12 nos.)   Tender coconut water – 3 litres  Toddy – 2 litres (If toddy is not available available,, you can ferment 3 litres of tender t ender coconut water  by keeping it in a pot for 1 week. That will become become toddy. ) 

Method of preparation: 

  Take 5 kgs of fresh cow dung and mix it thoroughly with 500 gms of cow’s ghee and keep it in a plastic drum or a mud pot. It should not be kept in a metal meta l container because it will corrode and react with the metal. Keep the ghee and the cow dung mixture for 4 days, mixing it twice a day.

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da y add cow’s urine, cow’s milk (cow’s milk can be boiled,   On the 5th day cooled and then added) and cow’s curd, then jaggery jagger y with water or sugarcane juice and banana fruit (which has to be mashed and mixed thoroughly.) Then tender coconut water has to be added.

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  Wait for another 15 days, stirring twice tw ice daily. Stirring the contents for about 20 minutes each time facilitates aerobic microbial activity. 

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On the 19th day the panchagavya solution will be ready. This solution must be kept under a net, i.e. it must be covered with a muslin or fine cloth so that the common fly cannot sit on it and lay eggs. For use after 19th day, stir the mixture at least once a day to aerate it.  

Application:

200ml of this solution can be diluted with 10 litres of o f water with proper stirring for spraying on plants. For soil application, applicat ion, dilute 1000ml in 10litres of water. Periodicity of use:

Once in 15 days, it can be used for all crops. In winter crops, 1.5-2% usage is sufficient but for all other crops 3% should be used.  Benefits to crops:    

       

Enhances the immunity of plants Stimulates the plant growth Tolerant to dryness Increased yield

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‘Jeevamrutha’ Jeevamrutha is considered to be a panacea for the prosperity of small far farmers. mers. It is important to provide a congenial environment to microorganisms that help in making available the essential nutrients for plant growth viz., nitrogen,  phosphorus and potassium, to the plants. Jeevamrutha provides such an environment to beneficial microbes. Application of Jeevamrutha to soil improves the soil considerably. It also encourages e ncourages microbial activity in the soil.

Preparation method:

Ingredients (Sufficient for 1 acre)     

  Water - 200-250 lts   Cow dung - 10-15 kgs   Cow Urine - 3-4 lts   Jaggery - 1-2 kgs   Soil under a tree or un-disturbed location form the same land - 23 handfuls.

Mix all of them and keep them in a shade for 3-4 days. Stir the mixture once a day. Apply the mixture when the ground is wet for the plants. This seems to work wonders for the plants due to increased microbial activity by 3rd and 4th day. This is an excellent culture for enabling the exponential increase of  beneficial microbes. microbes. The microbes are added through 2-3 handful of local local soil.

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Though it can be used even after 6-7 days, it is quite quit e a challenge getting near the mixture due to overpowering stench, hence advisable to use this t his within 3-4 days of preparation. How to use the Manure? 

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  The manure can be mixed with irrigation water.   The manure can also be used with w ith Drip Irrigation.   Also, can spray 10% filtered manure on the crops.

When to use the Manure?  

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  The manure should be mixed thoroughly twice daily (in the morning & evening) for 2 days before usage

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  The manure should be applied when the land is wet for the plants.   Generally, it is accepted that every 15 days the manure can be applied.   For even better results, the manure can also be used thrice in a month.

Jeevamrutha can be used as a fertilizer for each plant for every week, which  boosts the plant growth and a nd gives good yield. We need t o use the prepared one within one week of preparation. Please note that once we use Jeevamrutha, we should not water the plants for 12 hrs.

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