Detail:

Collect the leaves of Dhumas (Combretum ovalifolium) from degraded lands of common lands. Dhumas (Combretum ovalifolium) is a shrub which can be founded extensively on farm boundary and waste land in his area. About five to seven persons stand in a row and keep leaves of this plants in individual bags on their back. They start moving from one side of the field to the other in the direction of wind. On the way, they catch one to two Sunga [blister beetles] and crush these with two to three leaves by rubbing between the palms of their hands. A peculiar smell emanantes from the ruptured mixture of leaves and insects. Rupajibhai Kalibhai Vasava belonging to the Vagalkhor village in the Valiya taluka in Bharuch district in Gujarat use a unique method of pest control in maize crop using the leaves of Dhumas (Combretum ovalifolium). Maize crop is infested by a pest locally known as Sunga, which is like a bliste bittle that sucks juice from the pollen of maize plant and ultimately affects the setting of cobs. Infested pollen dries out and fails to fertilize ovary. Vasava collects the leaves of Dhumas(Combretum ovalifolium) from degraded lands of common lands. Dhumas(Combretum ovalifolium) is a shrub which can be found extensively on farm boundary and waste land in his area. About five to seven persons stand in a row and keep leaves of this plants in individual bags on their back. They start moving from one side of the field to the other in the direction of wind. On the way, they catch one to two Sunga from the air and crush these with two to three leaves by rubbing between the palms of their hands. A peculiar smell emanantes from the ruptured mixture of leaves and insects. According to user of this practice, Sunga will fly away in the direction of wind due to peculiar odour. As soon as the smell is over or reduced from the material, which is approximately after two to four minutes, fresh insects and leaves are crushed to replicate the treatment continuously. All the insect fly away in one direction quickly. This practice is followed collectively to some extent. Farmers of adjoining fields also pursue this practice along with their family members at the same time. All the people start from the first field and move in the wind direction. However, about 15 kilometres away from Vasava's place a farmer, Botabhai M Rajvadiya, suggested the use of leaves of another plant called Keji instead of (Combretum ovalifolium). Keji can be found in hedges and bears small leaves. According to him, five to seven persons are required for one acre of crop. This practice is used commonly for maize and bajra crops in this area.

Knowledge Provider / Innovator: Ramjibhai Kalibhai vasava
Agro-Ecological Zone: South Gujarat Zone (GJ-2)
Address: Vagalkhod, via Bhilod, Valia, Bharuch
District: Bharuch
State: Gujarat
PIN Code 393135

Crop: Maize
Crop Family: Poaceae
Crop Scientific Name: (Zea mays)
Crop Vernacular Name: Makka, Makkai, Dodo, Corn
Ingredients: The leaves of Dhumas (Combretum ovalifolium) and bags.

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PAS 1:

"Innovation in herbal pesticides - A line of 8-10 farmers gather the leaves of the creeper Combretum ovalifolium. They put them in a shoulder bag and, moving in a windward direction they catch the blister beetle in the air and crush it with the collected leaves. The combined effect of insect and leaf extract seemed to produce a signal that repelled the insects. In modern science there is no such heuristic method of combining plant and insect extract."
http://anilg.sristi.org/wp-content/Papers/Grassroots%20innovations%20for%20survival.doc

PAS 2:

"Conserving Diversity for Sustainable
Development: The Case of Plants of Insecticidal and Veterinary Medicine Importance"
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kirit_Patel5/publication/46436343_Conserving_Diversity_of_Sustainable_Development_The_Case_of_Plants_of_Insecticidal_and_Veterinary_Medicine_Importance/links/550775620cf2d7a281257da2.pdf