Bonfires Of Cotton Aphids
About the Practice
During the monsoon season, aphids infest the crop of cotton(Gossypium hirsutum). Aphids suck out juice of the leaves from their underside and growth of the plant is thus stopped. To control aphids, 4 kilogram leaves of eucalyptus(Eucalyptus globulus) and Indian bedellium (Commiphora mukul)are mixed together and a bonfire is made of the leafy heaps on cow dung cakes at two or three places in the farm so the smoke spreads evenly throughout. The leafy bonfires are lit once a week for two weeks. This brings 100 per cent control over aphids in cotton. This is a traditional method and it has been revived for cotton in the past three years, say Manjibhai Rathava. The bonfire method is paradoxically simple and inexpensive to boot. And cotton growers, when faced with pests to their crop, should be just about willing to make any effort to save their crop. Besides being simple and inexpensive, the practice is also empirically efficacious, not forgetting the effective odour/fragrance of eucalyptus and medicinal properties of (Commiphora mukul)(guggul).
About the Innovator
Agro-Ecological Zone: Agro Ecological Sub Region (ICAR) Central Highlands (Malwa), Gujarat Plain 5.2 (15 Dm4)Central Kathiawar peninsula, hot dry Agro-Climatic Region (Planning Commission) Gujarat Plains and Hills Region (XIII) Agro Climatic Zone (NARP) Middle Gujarat Agroclimatic Zone (GJ-3)
Address: Mu. Ingrola, Babra, Amreli
District: Ahmedabad
State: Gujarat
PIN Code 365620
Practice Details
Crop: Cotton
Crop Family: Malvaceae
Crop Scientific Name: (Gossypium hebaceum)
Crop Vernacular Name: Cotton, Kapas
Ingredients: Dried cow dung cake and leaves of both eucalyptus(Eucalyptus globulus) and Indian bedellium (Commiphora mukul)
PAS 1:
"toxicological implications of the indiscriminate use of synthetic pesticides and overcoming/reducing the problem of increasing pest resistance. D.R. Batish et al. / Forest Ecology and Management 256 (2008) 2166–2174 "
https://www.researchgate.net/publicat
"Chemical composition and insecticidal activity of five essential
oils: Cedrus atlantica, Citrus limonum, Rosmarinus officinalis, Syzygium aromaticum and Eucalyptus globules "
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214785319305966
"Insecticidal activity of young and mature leaves essential oil from Eucalyptus globules Labill. against Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val (
Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)"
http://www.bioline.org.br/pdf?cj15050