Detail:

A traditional technique to protect wheat crop from termites is by planting and replacing "kharsadi" (Euphorbia tirucalli) plant in water grooves in the field.Shivrambhai Vohra is a farmer from Madanagadh village of Palanpurtaluka of Banaskantha district in Gujarat. He suggests a remedy to protect wheat crop from termites. Termite strikes after wheat has grown to full height in the winter. It eats up the roots and destroys the crop. Vohra puts "kharsadi" (Euphorbia tirucalli) plant in watering grooves within his field. He keeps on replacing "kharsadi" plant and protects 70 per cent of the crop from termites. Apparently, "kharsadi" is an antidote to termites. He learnt this method from his father. Put "kharsadi" (Euphorbia tirucalli) plant in watering grooves within the field. Keep on replacing "kharsadi" plant with new ones.

Knowledge Provider / Innovator: ShivrambhaiHemchandbhaiVohra
Agro-Ecological Zone: Gujarat Plains and Hills Region (XIII)
Address: At. Po -MadanaGadhPalanpurBanaskanthaGujarat
District: Ahmedabad
State: Gujarat
PIN Code 385515

Crop: "Kharsadi"
Crop Family: Euphorbiaceae – spurge, euphorbes
Crop Scientific Name: (Euphorbia tirucalli)
Crop Vernacular Name: Kharsadi, Indian tree spurge
Ingredients: "Kharsadi" (Euphorbia tirucalli)

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PAS 1:

"Grassroots innovations and traditional knowledge are precious resource which provides solutions for various kinds of problems and local needs. A review of SRISTI database suggest that large number of grassroots practices are being used by the farmers in the field conditions to control the termite (OdontotermesobesusRambur) attack. In this study, five plant species being used by grassroots innovators in different forms of preparation for termite control in field conditions were selected for efficacy evaluation. Herbal formulations were developed from the aqueous extracts of twig of Aristolochiabracteata Retz. (Aristolochiaceae), twig of SolanumsurattenseBurm.f. (Solanaceae), leaves of Calotropisprocera Ait. f. (Asclepiadaceae), milky latex of Euphorbia tirucalli L. (Euphorbiaceae) and oil of Ricinuscommunis L. (Euphorbiaceae). Primary screening of the individual extracts, oil and milky latex at 10% concentration shows that C. procera, A. bracteata, R. communis (oil) and E. tirucalli (latex) are having significant effects and caused 100% mortality. However, S. surattense caused 88.89% mortality. Compared to the individual treatments, mixture of extracts of C. procera, A. bracteata, S. surattense, oil of R. communis and milky latex of E. tirucalli showed better results in terms of mortality and hence should be preferred for termite control. The results obtained from the experiments are encouraging and proves efficacy of the plants in control of termite. The formulations based on the above plants could be green alternative for the termite control. [Sahay et al, Grassroots solutions for controlling termite attack, JBiopest 7(Supp.):164-169 (2014)]"
http://www.jbiopest.com/users/LW8/efiles/vol_7_0_164-169.pdf