Natural crop protection
in the Tropics
by
Gaby Stroll ,
1986 ,
Copyright
Margraf Publishers Scientific Books
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.
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