TURMERIC – Curcuma domestica

                Fam. Zingiberaceae

General

Tumeric is a perrenal plant with a short stem a short and lufted leaves. It originated in India and Southeast-Asia wher it grows dedicious monsoonforest. In the meantime it has reached worldwide distribution. It thrives up to 2000  metres in places with a rainfall of 1000-2000 mm. It growswell on loams and alluvial soils, but does not tolerate ater logged soil conditions. It is oftengrows as a successional crop to rice or sugar cane, but also in mixed cultivation with vegetables. It is an important spice and has considerable commercial importance as one of the principal ingredients of curry. Tumeric responds well to organic manures and yields from 13.000-33.500 kg/ha of rhizomes.

The rhizomes is the plant part being used in crop protection.

Effective Range

Insecticidal  and repellent (52).

Espace pour photo de tumeric

Target Insects

Army worms                          - Spodoptera litura                (145)

Caterpillars                            - general                                (114)

Cowpea beetle                     - Callosobruchus maculatus (120)

Grain borer                            - Sitophilus granarius            (72)

Leser grain borer                           - Rhizopertha dominica                  (72)

Mites                             - general                               

Rice flour beetle                   - Tribolium spp.                     (72)

Ricz weevil                            - Sitophilus oryzae                (52)

Methods of Use

There is relatively little information from practical experience on the use of insecticidal plants and most of it refers to storage protection :

*PERIES in Sri Lanka describes the following method (114) :

Tumeric root is shredded and coww urine added. The mixture is diluted with water in proportions between 1 : 2 and 1 : 6 and used against insects and in particular against caterpillars. The exact quantities are not given.

In trials a turmeric preparation caused a 90-100 % death rate of the army worm (Spodoptera litura) in 2 days. Dried rhizomes were grated and extrcted with acetone and the solution was  diluted with 5 parts of water (145).

FURTHER INSECTICIDAL PLANTS OF IMPORTANCE

Name                           Distribution        Plant parts used                   Effective range

ANDEAN LUPIN          Andes                 Seeds                          antifeedant                  

Lupinus mutabilis                                                        fungicidal

                                                                           Nematicidal

BASIL                          Woldwide  Leaves                         insecticidal, repellent,

Ocimum basilicum                         ripe seeds,                       growth inhibiting,

                                               esserntial oil                 against ticks

COCKROACH PLANT         Central America Leaves, Stems            Contact- and stomac poison

Haplophyton cimidum                                                insecticidal

CROTALARIA                               rully ripe seeds            insecticidal, repellent, nematicidal

Crotalia ochroleuca    

CROTON OIL TREE  Southeast Asia   Seeds, roots                insecticidal, molluscicidal

Croton tiglium                                                             fish poison

DENNETTA                                    Edible fruit,                   Contact poison, insecticidal

Dennetta tripetala                           oil of the fruit               

EUCALYPTUS            Worldwide Leaves                         repellent

Eucalyptus spp.

HORSERADISH TREE       Worldwide Leaves                         bactericidal, fungicidal

Moringa oleifera

MELON TREE             Worldwide Leaves                         fungicidal

Carica papaya

THUNDERGOD VINE                   Rootbark             larvicidal, repellent

Tripterygium wilfordii

TOMATO            Worldwide Leaves                         repellent, prevents egg laying

Lycopersicon esculentum

YAM BEAN                  South- and Ripe seeds                  Contact- and Stomach poison,

Pachyrrhizus                Central America                             insecticidal, antifeedant

Erosus

Name                           Target organisms                                   Methods of Use

ANDEAN LUPIN          Unspecific insecticide against soft                  The cooking water of lupines which

                                      bodied insects and snails.   derives from food preparation is sprayed    undiluted onto affected plants (42,165).

BASIL                          Aphids colorado beetles, flies, maggots,       A 2 % emulsion is made from the

                                 mosquitos, potato tuber moth, spider mites.       essential oil and used as a spray (68).

COCKROACH             Army worms, cabbage worms, codling Dried powdered leaves or an aqueous

                            moths, colorado beetle, european corn extract are made with the stems. A rate

                            borer, grasshoppers, mexican bean beetle,   of 3,3 % plant material was effective

                            mexican fruit flies, squash bugs.            against flying insects (70,133,147).

CROTALARIA             Maize weevil, rice weevil.                        A handful of fully ripe seeds are spread                                                                           over and between each 5 sacks of beans                                                                          or maize (49,50).                                   

CROTON OIL TREE  Aphids, army worms, flies, silkworms,   A water extract is made from the                                snails.                                             pulverised seeds and used against aphids.                                                                     No quantities were given (7).

DENNETTA                 Bean bruchids, cockroaches, maize               For storage protection : Dennettia oil used         weevils, variegated grasshopper.          at the rate of 1 ml per kg protected

                                                                                                 cowpeas against the copea beetle for more           

                                                                                                    than 14 weeks. It protected maize for the  

                                                                                                   same period when used at the rate of 1 ml   

                                                                                                    per 1.5 kg.The oil is not watersoluble       

                                                                                                   which limits its use in the field. However   

                                                                                                   its use as an emulsion is possible (69).              

EUCALYPTUS            Bean bruchids, potato tuber moth.                  To protect beans in store 10-20 eucalyptus                                                           leaves should be distributed per kg.                                                              Potatoes  should be stored on a bed of   

                                                                           Leaves (3,34).

HORSERADISH TREE       Phytium debangemum, ( fungus attacking      The leaves are worked into the soil one

                            Mainly seedlings).                          week before sowing. This time is  

                                                                                                                 sufficient to release the effective  

                                                                                                                  substances into the soil. Principally used 

                                                                                                                 to protect seedlings in seedbeds (9,158).

MELON TREE             Coffeerust, powdery mildew.                  1 kg of finely shredded leaves is shaken 

                                                                                                                 vigorously in 1 litre of water and then 

                                                                                                                  squeezed through a cloth. 1litre of this 

                                                                                                                 liquid is diluted with 4 litres of soap 

                                                                                                                 solution (made by dissolving 100 gm soap 

                                                                                                                 flakes in 25 litres of water) and then used 

                                                                                                                as a spray (130).

THUNDERGOD VINE Aphids, cabbage worms, codling moths,        Powder : 2 kg root powder dissolved in

                              cockroaches, european corn borer.               400 litres of water killed 81-96 % of the 

                                                                                                                 larvae of the european corn borer in 48-72 

                                                                                                                 hours (15, 70).

TOMATO            Cabbage worms, diamondback moth.   Tomato stems are finely shredded covered 

                                                                                                                  with the same quantity of hot water and 

                                                                                                                 allowed to stand for 5 hours. After sieving   

                                                                                                                  this solution is sprayed onto the cabbage

                                                                                                                  plants. It is best used when the

                                                                                                                  butterflies of the forementionned pests 

                                                                                                                   are beginning to fly. The spray irrigates

                                                                                                                  them and prevents them from depositing   

                                                                                                                 their eggs (144).

YAM BEAN                  Aphids, army worms, cabbage worms   To make a spray, 2 kg pulverised yam

                                  diamond back moth, flea beetles,               beans are stirred into 400 litres of water

                            mexican bean beetle, stink bug,             (13, 33, 70).

                            caterpillars general.             

MIXTURES

Effective sprays are often prepared from a mixture of different insecticidal plants. Most of these plants we have already met, but there are some additions of locally used ones.

Chilli – Mixtures I

To control aphids a strong mixture of chillipeppers, garlic and onions can be made. The three ingredients are finely grated, stirred well with water and sieved. To increase the adhesive properties of the solution liquid soap should be added. The quantities used were not given by the contributor, so experiments should be made with different concentrations on small trials plots .

Chilli – Mixtures II

The following chillipepper/garlic mixture has a repellent effect on leaf-eating  pests :

A handful of finely shredded chillis and garlic is well stirred in a litre of water, filtered and used as a spray. When no spray is available the liquid can be distributed by means of a bundle of grasses flicked over the plants. A spreader can also be manufactured from a tin by perforating it at the base (146) .

  Chilli – Mixtures III

According to a source in the Philippines a mixture of the plant sap of chillipeppers, lemongrass and agdao leaves is very effective against insects. It is said that even the ‘worst pests’ of rice can be controlled with this preparation.

Each 5-6 tablespoon of the juice mixture from the three plants shouuld be stirred with 4 litres of water and shaken lightly before use. It was stated that 87 % of pests were killed with this preparation, but does not specify which (9).

Chilli – Mixtures IV

Rice farmers is Southeast-Asia use the following preparation against stem borers :

           Tubli roots (Croton tiglium)

           Dried tobacco leaves

           Chillipepper

The tubli roots (no quantities given) chopped small and pounded, are mixed with 8 litres of water and the liquid reduced to half by boiling. 50 gm dried tobacco leaves are also mixed with 8 litres of water and also reduced to half  by boiling.

4 tablespoon of grated chillipepper are stirred in 2 glasses of water and again reduced to half by boiling.

Finally all three liquids are strained and thoroughly stirred together. For the application 1 glass of this mixture is diluted with 15 litres of water (7).

Derris – Mixture

In the Philippines farmers use the following mixture against the rice pest Leptocorisa acuta :

           Derris roots (tobli)

           Seeds of Jatropha curcas (tuba)

           Seeds of Barringtonia (botung)

The plants parts are dried and powdered. Hot water is then poured over and the mixture allowed to stand for 24 hours before filtering and adding soap. No quantities were given (17).

ANIMAL SUBSTANCES