Horsetail
Scientific name:
Equisetum arvense
Family: Equisetaceae
Plant parts used
Leaves (Prakash; Rao, 1997: p. 171-172)
Mode of action
Insecticidal (Prakash; Rao, 1997: p. 171-172)
Formulation
Materials |
Method of preparation |
How to use |
Target pests |
Horsetail spray (Ellis; Bradley, 1996: pp. 475-476)
œ cup finely crushed dried horsetail leaves.
4 gallons of rain water
Cooking pan
Strainer
|
Put ingredients in a cooking pan.
Boil in water for 30 minutes.
Cool.
r
Strain.
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Spray on infested plants thoroughly. Spray early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
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Plant insect pests and diseases
|
Standard procedures for the preparation and application of the plant extracts
- Select plant parts that are free from diseases.
- When storing the plant parts for future usage, make sure that they are properly dried and are stored in an airy container (never use plastic container), away from direct sunlight and moisture. Make sure that they are free from molds before using them.
- Use utensils for the extract preparation that are not use for your food preparation and for drinking and cooking water containers. Clean properly all the utensils every time after using them.
- Do not have a direct contact with the crude extract
while in the process of the preparation and during the application.
- Make sure that you place the plant extract out of reach of children and house pets while leaving it overnight.
- Harvest all the mature and ripe fruits before plant extract application.
- Always test the plant extract formulation on a few infested plants first before going into large scale spraying. When adding soap as an emulsifier, use a potash-based one.
- Wear protective clothing while applying the extract.
- Wash your hands after handling the plant extract.
Effect on humans
None known during the write-up, however take extra caution as extract maybe harmful to people with very sensitive skin.
Effect on non-target organisms
Plant is poisonous to horses (CBIF, 2003).