MAMMEY – Mammea americana

General

This tree grows to a height of 20 m and originated in the Caribbean and in northern South America. In the meantime it is also spread in the tropical regions of Africa and Asia. It thrives up to 1000 m and there are two harvests a year and each tree yields 300 – 400 fruits.

The insecticidal plant part is above all the ripe seed. Leaves and bark posses only a low insecticidal action.

Effective Range

Contact – and stomach poison

Insecticidal , repellent , nematicidal  and effective against ticks.

Target Insects

Aphids                                                               - General

Diamondback moth                                           - Plutella xylostella

Cucumber beetle                                              - Diabrotica bivittata

Imported cabbage worm                                  - Pieris rapae

Melon worm                                                       - Diaphania hyalinata

Mites                                                         - general

Rice weevil                                                        - Sitopphilus oryzae

- Ascia monuste

- Cerotoma ruficornis

Remarks

                   After 4 days of sun , wind and dew mammey powder was still  an effective poison.

                   In the West Indies the resin of the mammey apple tree is used against flies.

Methods of Use

Powder made from mammey apple seeds can be used either as a dusting agant or in a solution as a spray. Besides water soultions, preparations may be made with kerosene which can be used effectively against household vermin.

Mammey powder can be dusted onto cabbages against caterpillars of the diamondback moth , using 8- 9 gm of powder ( it is best used mixed with carrying agent) per plant. The application should be carried out when the dew is on the plant so that the powder adheres well. Trials demonstrated that this treatment killed 80 % of the caterpillars in 4 days.

A spray made from 4 kg of mammey powder dissolved in 400 litres of water ( with added soap as a spreading and adhesive agent reduces in 4 days a 67.9 % control of the caterpillars of the diamondback moth and a 73.6 % control of the larvae of Ascia monuste.