Neem oil has proven to control about 600 types of insect species effectively. Thus it plays a fundamental role in the pest management. Agricultural trend of using synthetic products for control of pests have been revolutionized by
Neem oil, especially due to its proficient characteristics as a pest repellent and a supplement for the plants as well. But for consideration, the key of
neem oil is pest control, which is the obvious reason to increase the productivity in farms on its application. Moreover, different crop invites different insects and application of certain pesticide for particular pest will serve as an advantage for the others, and they are likely to develop resistance against the pesticide which makes the condition even worse. However,
neem oil cannot be resisted by any insects in common due to the presence of an active constituent of neem called
Azadirachtin, a tetranortriterpenoid complex structure similar to insect hormone that drags the insects to feed and terminates it. Thus it is sure of repelling most of the pests that are considered to be destructive in nature. The list of some of those destructive insects in farms includes:
American bollworm, Aphids, Berry borers, Black aphids, Black headed caterpillar, Brown plant hopper, Castor semi looper, Coffee stem borers, Cut worms,
Diamond Black Moth, Ear Head bug, Early shoot borer, Eriophyid mite, Flea beetles, Flush worms, Fruit borer, Fruit borer, Fruit flies, Gall midge, Hairy Caterpillar, Helicoverpa moth, Inflorescence caterpillars,
Japanese beetles, Jassids, Jumping lice, Leaf hoppers, Leaf miners,
Leaf Webbers, Leafhoppers, Mealy bugs, Pigeon pea cyst Nematode, Pink bollworm, Pod borer, Pod
bug, Poilu Beetles, Prodenia, Pulse Beetle, Red flour beetle, Red palm weevil, Rhinoceros beetles, Rhizome borers, Rice Hispa, Scale, Shoot borer, Shoot borers, Shoot fly, Spider mites, Spodoptera litura moth, Spot mites, Spotted boll worm, Tea mosquito bug, Thrips, Tobacco caterpillar, Top borer, White Grubs, Whiteflies.
These insects can be cured using a common
neem oil spray.
Neem oil concentration in the spray differs for each insect but in most of the cases the mild concentration of pure
neem oil (certified by EPA) is advised for use. Spraying
neem oil in the field eradicates the populated insects at the site and resists further invasion of the insect into the field as well. The treatment of
neem oil spray needs to be done once or twice in a week to effective
control the plants from pests.