Now, all-curable neem can breathe easy!

SJCE lecturer comes out with a pesticide successfully tried at campus

However, a researcher at Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering (SJCE) have found a cure for this problem. According to Dr M N Nagendra Prasad, lecturer, Department of Biotechnology, SJCE, the disease is caused by a fungus named ‘Chomopsis’.

Dr Prasad said that the disease was first identified around 12 years back by his research guide Prof S Shankara Bhat. It is widely prevalent in several areas of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The fungus causes the death at the terminal branches and later affects the leaves and twigs of the neem tree. The disease appears at the onset of the rainy season and becomes progressively severe between August and December.

Dr Prasad said that a field survey was conducted in eight districts of Karnataka including Chitradurga, Hospet, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Belgaum, Tumkur, Dharwad and Mysore. Except for Dharwad, all other places showed 100 per cent of disease incidence.

However, Dr Prasad has used a DNA based method known as PCR-based molecular detection to track the pathogens that cause the disease.  The solution to control the ’Die-back’ disease is to mix one gram of ‘Bavistin’ powder in seven-eight litres of water.  This could be sprayed on the neem trees after the rainy season.  Dr Prasad said that the 447 trees in the SJCE campus were affected by the disease. Having obtained funding from the college management, the solution was successfully tried out on all the trees in the campus.

Pest management

Neem is known to possess huge potential in the fields of pest management, environmental protection and medicine and is a natural source of insecticides, pesticides and agrochemicals.

Being used in thousands of products, Dr Prasad observed that more than 150 active chemical compounds have been isolated from the neem tree.

Furthermore, neem based products are reported to have successful antifungal, antibacterial capabilities.

Also neem is known to possess immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperglycaemic, anti-ulcer, anti-malarial, anti-oxidant, anti-mutagenic and anti-carcinogenic properties, Nagendra Prasad added.