The Neem Properties

To protect themselves from the attacks of insects, a lot of plants produce some chemical substance with several properties: toxic, insects’ growth regulator or anti-nourishing. The Neem produces with its fruits, leaves, flowers and barks more than a hundred of chemical substances. One of them (Azadirachtin) is one of the most effective bio-insecticide.

For the plants

In emulsion with some water and by pulverization, the Neem oil is used as:

• a fertilizer for the foliages
• a stimulator of natural defences
• a pesticide
• an insecticide

Its ovicid and larvicid properties allow him to infect the laying of arthropod females as well as the moulting and the growth of the larva, thus weakening the resistance of these insects.

The Neem oil is not toxic for the warm-blooded animals and the human beings.

The Neem’s natural components allow some various applications:

• In the farm and forest production, the Neem oil sets different effective processes which are respectful to the environment for the plants that need:
  • pesticides (parasites)
  • fungicides (mushrooms)
  • insecticides (insects)

The organic action of the Neem’s extracts is good to fight against more than 400 pests of which some are hardy to the chemical pesticides.

The efficiency of the Neem oil was experimented in laboratories, in greenhouses and in the fields on:

• Tetranychidae: in laboratory.
• The greenfly of the peach tree (Myzus Mercicae) and the Trialeurodes Vaporariorum (aleurodes des serres), often called the white fly: in laboratory.
• The thrips (Thysanoptera) of the little fruits: in laboratory and greenhouse.
• Potato leaf roll virus (PLRV) and potato virus Y: in greenhouse.
• The mites, greenflies, Trialeurodes Vaporarium and the black flies: in greenhouse.
• French beans against the bean flies and the locust: in the fields.
• Watermelons against the fruit flies: in the fields.
• Tomatoes against tomato fruit worms, whiteflies, thrips, cutworms (voracious leaf)…: in the fields.
• Strawberries against the tarnished plant bug (la punaise terne): in the fields.
• Broccolis, rutabagas (Swedes), radishes and cabbages against the cabbage flies (Delia Radicum): in the fields.
• Onions against the onion flies (Delia Antiqua): in the fields.
• The rosemary against the mites, white flies, thrips and the Eupterix Decemnota: in tunnel.
• Strawberries against the strawberry tree’s powdery mildew: in laboratory.
• The apple tree against the Disaphis Plantaginea and cutworms: in an orchard.

For humans

• In the allopathic and homeopathic medicine as well as in the Hindu traditional medicine, the Neem extracts are used for several pathologies, dermatological, breathing, digestive…treatments. The Neem also has some antiseptic properties.
• In the cosmetic industry, the Neem oil is mixed in creams, body oils, shampoos, repellents, sun creams and toothpastes.
• For the housing: The Neem oil considerably allows reducing the presence of mosquitoes in the houses.

For the animals

For the hygiene and the veterinary treatments: the sprayed Neem oil allows disinfecting the stables and the cowsheds with its fumigating action. In a shampoo, it is used as a repulsive and as a care for the hairs.