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The Power of Botanical Insecticides

Chrysanthemum and lily flowers are appreciated for their beauty and fragrance. So it might surprise you that these two flowers each hold an additional little-known benefit they are the natural source for powerful botanical insecticides used by many growers to control some of their toughest crop pests.

Rediscovery of botanical active ingredients

Synthetic insecticides are so prevalent in todays agriculture that its hard to believe that it wasnt that long ago that they didnt exist. As recently as the 1940s, most insecticides were developed primarily with botanically-derived active ingredients. Pyrethrum, azadirachtin, sabadilla and numerous other botanical derivatives were relied upon almost exclusively by commercial growers and household gardeners alike for effective and practical insect control. Although synthetic chemistry has certainly broadened the range of insect control options over the last half-century, a number of recent trends are motivating growers to rediscover the power, effectiveness and environmental benefits of botanical insecticides. The explosive growth of the organic segment is one contributing factor. Another key issue shared by many growers is their concern about the potential impact of conventional farm chemicals o n our food supply and on the environment. As such, botanical insecticides have developed into a core component of many Integrated Pest Management programs, especially for the control of severe pest levels during key periods of the growing cycle.

Field of chrysanthemum flowers in Tanzania source of pyrethrum

Pyrethrum
Pyrethrum is a naturally-derived extract of the chrysanthemum flower and has been applied for decades as a rapid knockdown, broad-spectrum, insecticide with minimal toxicity to the environment.

PyGanic, manufactured by Minneapolis-based MGK, is an OMRI-listed botanical insecticide with pyrethrum as its active ingredient. PyGanic is uniquely valuable to organic growers because it offers immediate, on-contact control against dozens of destructive crop pests--such as aphid, thrip and lygus bugs--with NO pre-harvest interval and a minimal re-entry interval.

Azadirachtin
Another botanical insecticide with a proven track record in crop protection is azadirachtin. Derived from seeds of the Neem tree indigenous to India, azadirachtin is a complex molecule with multiple insecticidal properties of stomach poison and insect growth regulation. These characteristics provide

a degree of residual control, making azadirachtin effective on toughest-to-kill pests such as Lepidoptera, beetles and true bugs.

Azera, an OMRI-listed product introduced last year by MGK, is formulated with both pyrethrum and azadiracthin to deliver a one-two punch on a wide range of crop pests. Azeras unique formula provides multiple modes of action to give growers a fighting chance against even the most destructive invasive insects like Spotted Wing Drosophila and Asian Citrus Psyllid. Azera represents a new generation of botanical crop protection: powerful active ingredients that are tough on destructive pests but less harsh on the surrounding environment.

Sabadilla
Sabadilla is a botanical active ingredient derived from a lily variety indigenous to Latin America. The unique properties of sabadilla were first discovered by the Incas and Aztecs centuries ago and has been used as a natural insecticide as well as a homeopathic remedy ever since. Sabadilla has historically been used to effectively control various crop pests such as lepidoptera, diamondback moth and cucumber beetles and is now gaining recognition for its efficacy and its low mammalian toxicity.

Veratran D, manufactured by MGK, is the only EPA-registered insect control product with sabadilla, and is labeled for control of citrus thrip and avocado thrip.

Pyrethrum, azadirachtin and sabadilla represent back-to-the-future botanical options for effective and low-impact Integrated Pest Management. Discovering the power of Botanical Insecticides can lead to effective control of destructive insects while better managing the growing environment of your crops.