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the-south-asian.com September 2004 |
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September
2004 Heritage
Salman
Ahmed - yet Indo-Pak TV Culture
Lifestyle
Lehngas - a limited collection Books Between
Heaven and Hell
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NEEM : THE 'VILLAGE PHARMACY' GOES GLOBAL by S.K. Soni
Neem has been the most celebrated medicinal plant of India and finds mention in a number of Puranic texts as also in ancient Persian and Urdu pharmacopeias who called it a 'Blessed Tree' and the 'Village Pharmacy'. It is also called Holy Tree (Azadirachta indica.) It is native to India and Sri Lanka. There is growing concern around the world about the increasing use of harmful chemicals in food. Such is the awareness that even in India, it is not unusual to see many progressive farmers keeping a part of their farms free of chemicals for their own consumption. Here they employ the ancient means of farming which include the extensive use of neem tree. In fact, in ancient times neem was the most celebrated medicinal plant of India and found mention in a number of Puranic texts like the Atharava Veda, Upanivahod, Amarkosha and Ghrysutra. They all dealt with the outstanding qualities of the neem tree as a source of medicine and as a natural pesticide. The great Muslim scholar Ali Gilani called it the 'Blessed Tree' and the ancient Indians called neem the 'Village Pharmacy'. A millennium later, today, neem is once again steadily becoming an agro-scientific celebrity. Of late, it has figured as the priority in seminars and serious agricultural workshops all over the world. Modern western medicine is finally discovering what the ancient Indians have known for thousands of years: that the neem tree has superb pharmaceutical and pesticide controlling qualities. Its effectiveness, availability and safety have made agro-scientists promote cultivation of neem forests. The azadirachton compound in neem has been recognized as an effective insecticide that is biologically selective, not harming the useful pest-predators but keeping almost 250 harmful ones at bay. Neem cake is traditionally put in rice fields as a fertilizer. Scientists recommend coating urea with neem cake to kill nitrifying bacteria. Even water management with neem to control vectors of Japanese encephalitis has shown the victory of neem over DDT.
Rejuvenating Tree Besides azadirachton, neem also contains salanin, a chemical substance that is a potent pest controller and is said to be far more effective than the chemically produced diethyl-toluamide that is a part of most of the lethal synthetically produced pesticides. Margosa, the oil extracted from its seeds contains oelic, palmitic and stearic acids as also nimbosterol and tannin. It is the combination of these complex natural substances which makes neem such a rejuvenating tree. Neem is also said to aid longevity, guard against heart disease, high blood pressure and arthritis. Besides, it has ingredients which lower cholesterol and clear arteries of fat. Margosa oil has amazing antiseptic properties as well. It is now being increasingly used in the manufacture of antideratatic soaps and toothpastes. These soaps have natural anti-dandruff qualities. The other uses of margosa oil, the amazing extract from neem, is that it is said to help diabetic patients. The ancient vaids usually recommended a bitter paste of neem leaves and margosa oil as a cure for obesity. Its cosmetic value too is an established Indian tradition as in the old times women applied an application of neem leaves and turmeric paste for a glowing skin. Some old-timers still chew a few leaves of neem every morning as these are said to contain blood-purifying qualities. Of course, in villages, people use neem tree twigs [datoon] to cleanse their teeth. In the past people applied neem leaves to wounds and sores to hasten healing. Concoctions of neem leaves blended with honey or other soothing herbs are said to cure dermatitis, eczema and other skin rashes. Dried nimbosterol mixed with honey and pepper powder can cure colds, stop bleeding and help a patient suffering from piles. The medicinal secrets of the neem tree are now coming under the microscope of western doctors. German and American medical scientists, in particular, are carefully researching neem's healing and revitalising properties and concluding that it contains powerful compounds which can act as a potent weapon against a host of illnesses without the side effects linked to most modern miracle drugs in the chemist shop. The American National Research Council says that neem is "the most promising of all plants which may usher in a completely new era of pest control, provide millions with inexpensive medicines and even reduce the excessive temperature of an overheated globe." However, it is neem's pest control qualities that have truly stirred the imagination of the western world that discovered this quite by an accident. In 1959 a German agro-scientist, Dr. Heinrich Schmutterer, working on a research project in Sudan, saw a swarm of locusts descend on a farm. They plundered everything except the neem trees. Dr. Schmutterer embarked on an extensive study and his conclusions startled the western scientific community. He discovered that azadirachton, the complex compound in the neem tree contained potent anti-feedant properties that were repugnant to over 250 species of crop destroying insects. It also retarded the development of larvae thereby decreasing the population of the pests.
Unique Qualities One of the biggest advantages of the neem is that it is a hardy tree and can take root rapidly even in hostile soil conditions. More than that it does not need too much nourishment and thus it doesn't impinge on the food supply of the other crops. It also has the unique quality of enriching the surrounding soil and making it more conducive for water retention as it contains compounds which neutralise the acidic content in the soil. Agro scientists say that neem is the most eco-friendly pesticide which nature has bestowed on man. They recommend that neem and its kernel should be liberally mixed with compost and set to rot. The pesticide is ready in around three to four months depending on the weather conditions. Organic farming using neem as a pesticide is still done on a very miniscule scale in India. There are hardly any pesticide-free farm products available in the country though there is a growing demand for these. However, some companies are claiming to make organic farming a line of their business. But scientists suggest that rather than switching completely to neem-based organic farming, it may be more practical to switch to what is termed as Integrated Pest Management. This method advocates the judicious use of less harmful chemical pesticides where a natural predator like neem is not effective. This is so because as of now it is practically impossible to switch completely to organic farming as the neem technique works only on a small scale and certain crops require artificially produced pesticides to come to full bloom. However, many western agro-scientists say that if neem is effective on a small scale, it can be done on a larger scale as well. There is a certain urgency in advocating the use of neem as a pesticide as there is a growing concern on the lethal pesticides being used in our day-to-day foods. Take for example a commonly used vegetable like okra or bhindi. It is sometimes immersed in a solution of copper sulphate to give it that extra green shine. In fact, a minimum of six to seven chemical pesticides are sprayed on an apple tree before the fruit is plucked. Just before harvesting the apple trees are sprayed with fungicides and pesticides along with daminozide, a growth regulator. Finally the fruit is sprayed with 'alar' to heighten its redness. Once the apples reach the cold storage they are sprayed with pesticides once again to keep off the rats and insects. If that list makes you dizzy just imagine what it does to your body every time you eat an apple. Which is exactly the reason why scientists are so bullish about the neem option as a pesticide. But not just as a pesticide, neem has its medicinal values as well. It was as late as 1971 when an American, Robert Larsen, began importing neem to his country. And America, known for its entrepreneurial skills, was quick to cash on the potential. A number of companies in the US began marketing medicines made from neem extract. The most prominent among these is W.R.Grace, a Fortune-500 company, which came out with two products, Margosan-O and Bioneem. The sales of these have been phenomenal. Suddenly, the exports of the neem seeds from India have ballooned and it is reported that the W.R.Grace company is setting up a plant in India which will process around 7,500 tonnes of neem seeds annually. The result of all the overseas companies rushing to India has also seen a ten-fold rise in the price of neem seeds from Rs. 300 to Rs. 3,000 a tonne. Ironically, even as the prices shoot up and exports keep rising, the ubiquitous neem may become out of reach for the ordinary Indian farmer. Thus it is imperative that the government simultaneously thinks in terms of subsidies to the agro sector not just to let the neem proliferate but to also let the rich tradition of the neem tree continue.
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