Review on traditionally used botanical pesticides and pest management practices in Kerala

Abstract

Kerala farming community possessed traditional skills and indigenous knowledge on pest control practices of various crops. Due to the emergence of modern agricultural practices the rich traditional knowledge systems gradually vanished. Negative impacts of modern pest control practices on human health and environment led to resurgence in the interest in botanical insecticides because of their minimal cost and least side effects. This reality provoked the agricultural community to return to the vanished traditional sustainable ways of cultivation, especially using bio-pesticides. The present study is aimed to collect and doccument such eroded knowledge from available sources. Detailed studies have found that about forty one (41) indigenous pest control practices were reported in Kerala for various crops. About fifty five (55) plant species were used in different regions of the state against various pests. Among the various plant parts used, leaf accounted the main allelochemical containing region, mostly used against pests. The study highlights the need to explore more locally available traditional botanicals having allelochemical potentiality to control various crop pests to save the crops and environment.