Neem

• Scientific name: Azadirachta indica. A Juss.
• English name: Margosa or China berry or Paradise tree

a. Environment:

• Tropical, fast growing tree especially suited to semi – arid conditions.
• It can withstand temperature as high as 490c and low as 0 ⁰
• Rainfall 130 – 200cm / yr. It can tolerate as little rainfall as 130mm /yr.
• Frost and hailstorm may affect its growth.
• It can be grown soil pH 4.0 to 9.5 the optimum pH is 6.2
• Thrives in well drained fertile loamy soils.

b. Cultivation:

• The seeds are collected from June to August.
• The seeds remain viable for a short period of 3 to 5 weeks only.
• Seed Rate: – About 5-8 kg / ha.
• 2-3 ploughings, 1-2 harrowing and levelling.
• Seed are sown in N.B. in rows in 15 – 20cm apart at 1 to 1.5cm depth.
• 8 – 16 weeks old ready for transplanting are planted in the beginning of monsoon.
• Planting in the monsoon season (July to September) in the main field.
• Stem cutting treated with 100 ppm of 1AA & NAA and GA3is also produced roots affectively under mist chamber.

c. Management:

• 20 – 25 tons of FYM /Compost / ha.
• 100gm: 50: 50gm of NPK / plant / yr. or apply at least once in 2-3 years. 5kg of organic manure /young tree. 10 -15 kg of org. manure/ adult tree.
• 2-3 weeding and hoeing. Water logged condition is not suitable for Soil.
• 4-5 irrigations / year.
• Needs irrigation frequently in the initial stages during summer months.
• Intercrops—Cotton, Soybean, Groundnut, Millets, Sorghum, Seasamum, Garlic,Onion,Carrot etc.

d. Diseases:-

1. Damping off (Fusarium oxysporum)
2. Root rot (Ganoderma lucidun)
3. Powdery mildew (Oiduim azadirchtae),
4. Seedling blight (Fusarium solani)
5. Leaf spots (Colletotrichum capsici),
6. Bacterial leaf spot (Xanthomonas azadirachtae).

• Spray 0.01 – 0.2 % Dimethoate or Spray a mixture of 0.2% Dimethoate and Vipul @ 2ml /lit.

e. Harvesting:

• The flowering starts in February –March and ends in May –June while shed their leaves during March April.
• Leaves should be harvested just before flowering or after the seeds are set. The leaves of neem tree should be harvested when the plant 2-3 years old or 6-8m tall tree.
• Hand plucking is usually done. Neem starts bearing fruits at the age of 5 years.
• Yield:-350 – 400kg of dry leaves / yr. and 60 – 100kg fruits / yr. obtained from 8 m. tall tree. It produces about 50 -60 kg berries /tree and the kernel yields 45% of fixed oil.

f. Chemical evaluation:

• Principal constituent is ‘Limonoids’.
• ‘Azadirachtin’, Nimbin, Salanin, NimbolinBeta, Meliantriol Deacetylaza, Quercerin, Myrcetin, Nimbosterin, Nimocetin are most important limonoids.

g. Uses:

• Leaves: Anthelmintic, Insecticidal. Used in Skin diseases, Dermatitis effective against aflatoxin, Feeding green leaves can also help in boosting milk secretion after parturition. Leaves are also useful as mulch manure. It is also used as carminative and expectorant.

• Flowers: Neem flowers are useful for dyspepsia, general debility.

• Bark:-The bark is useful for leprosy, blood complaints, diuretic, cardio – vascular diseases, ulcers and inflammations. A bitter tonic is prepared from neem bark.

• Neem oil:-It is used for making soaps (Trade name – Neem, Morgosa) cosmetics, tooth paste. Oil is also used as vaginal lubricants. It is used to antiseptic, anti-bacterial, antifertility, anthelmintic and cosmetic preparations.

• Neem timber:-The timber is very durable and is useful for house building furniture, bullock carts, wooden plough and other agriculture implements.

h. Neem vs AIDS

• Immune stimulating properties ( lymphocytic and cell mediated)
• For those not advanced to full blown stage
• Neem bark, neem leaf: in vitro culture: decrease 24 viral proteins
• Increase anti body
• Increased lymphokins, macrophages and monocytes
• Findings according to NIH

I. Neem vs cancer

• Decreases tumors
• Neem based cream for skin cancer
• Limonoids (bark, leaves and seed oil) decrease leukemia
• Prevent adhesion of cancer cells to other parts.