Calneem: A commercial neem seed-based biopesticide for sustainable management of pests of vegetables in Ghana

Abstract

The production of vegetable crops is a major agricultural activity of small and medium-scale farmers in Ghana and has a greatpotential to increase the income levels growers. However, vegetable production is constrained among other factors by attackby insect pests, diseases, nematodes and the declining soil fertility, necessitating the use of pesticides and artificial fertilizers.Currently, the main method of controlling pests and diseases of vegetable crops is the use of synthetic pesticides. This paperexamines the environmental, food safety, health and other problems inherent in the dependency on conventional pesticidesto control crop pests in Ghana and advocates the need to develop a sustainable and environmentally sound alternative pestmanagement strategy using neem pesticides as the major component. Native to India and Burma, the neem tree, Azadirachataindica A. Juss was introduced to Africa earlier this century and is now well established in at least 78 countries, including Ghanawhere it has become an important source of fuel, lumber and biopesticides. Neem products are broad spectrum bio-pesticideswhich are effective against several pests of vegetables, food crops, fruit and other tree crops. Using the results of extensive fieldtrials conducted in two locations in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana, the paper would demonstrate the practical utilization ofCalneem oil and Neem seed extract for sustainable protection of okra and cucumber against pest infestation in Ghana. It wouldalso show that neem pesticides are less harmful to some beneficial organisms in the vegetable agro-ecosystem such as certain antspecies, lady bird beetles, dragon flies and other predators. Practical challenges to widespread application of neem bio-pesticidesfor sustainable crop protection in Ghana are discussed.