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Sweet flag

Scientific name: Acorus calamus
Family: Araceae

Plant parts used

Rhizome

Mode of action

Insecticidal, oviposition inhibiting

Formulations

Materials  Methods of preparation How to use  Target pests
Rhizome extract (Sridhar; et. al., 2002: p. 23)

Sweet flag rhizome, dried
2 liters of water
8 ml of soap
Mortar and pestle
Pail



œ kg of powder is
needed for 0.4 ha



Pound rhizome.
Take 20 grams of rhizome powder and add to water. Let it stand for 1 day.
Strain.
Stir in soap.

 



Spray early the following morning on infested plant
parts.



Aphids
Armyworm
Cotton stainer
Housefly
Large cabbage worm
Mosquito
Mustard sawfly
Wolly bear
Stored grain pests
Rhizome powder and cow's urine for seed treatment
(Vijayalakshmi; et. al., 1998: p. 23)

50 grams of powdered rhizome
2.5 liters of water
1 liter of cow's urine
Cooking pot
Basin



This amount is good for
treating 1 kg of seeds.







In a pot, bring water to boil.
Cool.
Mix the cow's urine with water.
Add the rhizome powder.
Stir well.






Add seeds to this solution.
Discard seeds that float.
Let it stand for 15 minutes.
Seeds are ready for sowing.






Pests on seeds and seed pathogens

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

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

None



External links


References


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