| MATERIAL NAME: Neem (azadirachtin, neem oil, neem oil soap)
MATERIAL TYPE: Botanical
U.S. EPA TOXICITY CATEGORY: III, “Caution” (Neemix carries a
“Warning” signal word)
USDA-NOP: considered a non-synthetic botanical pesticide; its use is
regulated. Preventive, cultural, mechanical and physical methods must be
first choice for pest control, and conditions for use of a biological material
must be documented in the organic system plan (NOP 2000).
MATERIAL DESCRIPTION: Neem products are derived from the
neem tree, Azadiracta indica. The neem tree is native to southern Asia and
can grow in most arid sub-tropical and tropical areas of the world (Copping
2001). Called Sarva Roga Nirvani, a “cure of all ailments” in Sanskrit, neem
has been used for centuries for medical, cosmetic and pesticidal purposes.
Although Indian scientists were researching the use of neem as early as the
1920s, there was little global attention until a German entomologist noticed
in 1959 that neem trees in the Sudan resisted an attack of migratory locusts.
Since that time, there has been considerable research and commercialization
of neem products (Ruckin 1992).
Neem pesticide products are usually made by crushing neem tree seeds,
then using water or a solvent such as alcohol to extract the pesticidal constituents.
Other products are made from cold-pressed neem seed oil or from
further processed neem oil. Neem products produced with different extraction
techniques may result in different biologically active chemicals (or
amounts of chemicals) being present in a product. Thus, the efficacy of different
products may vary. Neem cake is the residual seed meal remaining
after extraction of oil from seeds. This is often sold as a fertilizer product.
We group neem products into three classes:
Azadirachtin-based products
Includes Agroneem®, AZA-Direct®, Azatrol®, Ecosense®, Ecoside®
(has both oil and azadiractin), Neemix®. |