jump directly to content.
Principles. Crops. Pests. Control methods Library. Links.
key visual: online information service for Non-chemical Pest Management in the Tropics

Lemongrass

Common names: Citronella, Citronella grass, Lemongrass
Scientific name: Cymbopogon marginatus, C. nardus, C. citratus
Family: Gramineae

picture discription
Photo courtesy of Les Bohm

Plant parts used

Leaves, roots

Mode of action

Insecticidal, repellent

Formulations

n n
Materials  Method of preparation  How to use   Target pests 
Lemongrass extract (Stoll, 2000: p. 171)

50 g of ground lemongrass
2 liters of water
 



Soak the ground lemongrass into water for few hours.
Strain.

 



Spray onto lettuce, tomatoes,
and carrots



Leaf blight
Bacticidal
Lemongrass, chili,
bitterwood extract
(Stoll, 2000: p. 176)

Whole plant of lemongrass
Chili pods
Bitterwood leaves
4 ml of soap
Mortar and pestle
Strainer
Basin






Pound required amount of
each plant to get the extract.
5-7 tbsp of plant juices
are needed from each plant.
Mix the all the plant juices.




Dilute the mixture of plant
juices with 4 liters of water.
Spray on infested plants
thoroughly preferably early
in the morning or late in the afternoon.




Rice pests
Citronella grass, Madre de cacao, chili, tobacco
and Tinospora extract

(Stoll, 2000: p. 176)

25 kg of citronella grass
25 kg of fresh Madre de cacao leaves
1 kg of chilies
10 kg of tobacco leaves
5 kg of Tinospora
Drum
Soap
Bolo or knife









Chop these plant materials.
Put into a drum full of water.
Set aside for 1 month to
allow fermentation.





Dilute 1 liter of stock solution
with 10-12 liters of water.
Add soap.
Stir well.
Spray on infested plants
thoroughly.





Most agricultural pests

Standard procedures for the preparation and application of the plant extracts

  1. Select plant parts that are free from diseases.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Do not have a direct contact with the crude extract while in the process of the preparation and during the application.
  5. Make sure that you place the plant extract out of reach of children and house pets while leaving it overnight.
  6. Harvest all the mature and ripe fruits before plant extract application.
  7. 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.
  8. Wear protective clothing while applying the extract.
  9. Wash your hands after handling the plant extract.

Effect on humans

Extracts are possible irritants to sensitive skins or when used in strong dilution. Do not use on damaged skin. Be careful, leaves have sharp edges and can inflict razor cuts in the skin.

Effect on non-target organisms

None



External links


References


 to the top        PAN Germany, OISAT; Email oisat@pan-germany.org