Daily Nation
Feedback: Usingpepper as bio-pesticide
Wednesday September 4 2019
A farmer sprays pesticide on his tomato crops. Bio-pesticides are normally made from plant extracts and are thus not toxic to humans or livestock, do not kill natural enemies of pests and are cheap and easy to prepare if the materials are locally available. FILE PHOTO | NMG
HOW TO USE CHILIES, GINGER AND GARLIC BIOPESTICIDES
Please explain how one can use the following as pesticides: Pepper, garlic, ginger and Mexican marigold.
Farmer
Pepper, garlic, ginger and Mexican marigold can be used to make quality bio-pesticides. Bio-pesticides are normally made from plant extracts and are thus not toxic to humans or livestock, do not kill natural enemies of pests and are cheap and easy to prepare if the materials are locally available.
Pepper: Chop 500g of chilli, mix with five litres of water and leave for 24 hours or boil for it 20 minutes. Sieve the extract and add an extra five litres of water and an equal amount of soapy water to make 20 litres.
This is enough to spray half-an-acre. Use the correct ratio of chilli to water because high concentration may destroy the crop and avoid spraying on windy or hot weather.
Pepper or chilli is rich in capsaicin, which causes irritation of the digestive tract of insects and also repels them.
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