Pest control is an important part of farming which can turn out to be a serious threat to the crops, if ignored. To resolve this menace, we can use leaf powder pesticides which is a purely organic pest control method. Just as the name suggests, leaf powder is made by powdering leaves.
Why leaf powder?
Normally, the shelf life of organic pesticides is rather short. Even if they are stored for long, they are likely to be less effective. In contrast, leaf powders can be kept for a rather long period without any loss of effect. Also they can be applied directly on the plants and are least expensive too.
Which leaves?
The leaves of plants having a strong odour such as neem, Siam weed (Communist Pacha), pignut (Natta poochedi), West Indian Lantana (Kongini), Holy Basil (Tulsi), golden shower tree (Kanikkonna), drumstick tree, Parthenium, marigold (Chendumalli) are commonly used for making leaf powder pesticides.
These plants are not normally attacked by any pests, which indicates that they produce some chemical properties like alkaloids and terpenes which prevent the breeding and growth of insects.
How to make?
In order to make leaf powder pesticides, leaves that are not fully ripe are plucked, dried under shade and then powdered. 10 gram of leaf powder is mixed with 1 litre water and applied in the garden.
When to use?
When vegetable saplings are planted in the kitchen garden, apply leaf powder in alternate weeks. It is ideal to use powders of different leaves instead of using the same powder continuously.
