Gemilina or Neem Tree: (to feed or not to feed)

[mikey]

We were advised back in 2006/07,from goat breeders on the island of Cebu that feeding your goat(s) gemilina is not good for them.The common answer was it can make them sick.Our own local vet has advised us that gemilina seeds stay in the stomach of the animals for a long time.He also advised us not to feed the goats gemilina.We no long feed gemilina to our goats on the farm.I guess this would be a personal choice for any producer to make.Hope someone can shed some light on this subject.Would like to know the reason behind gemilina,maybe some sort of poisoning???
Region 7:

[mikey]

Propagation of Neem and Harvest of Seeds

Neem tree can grow under various condition of climate and soil types. The ripe seeds should be grown soon after collection. It can be sown directly or it can also be transplanted. Neem can also be propagated in a variety of other ways. This chapter briefly describes the propagation techniques of neem. besides instead of collecting seeds that fall on the ground.

Propagation Techniques of Neem
The tree can be easily propagated both sexually and vegetatively. It can be planted using seeds, seedlings, saplings, root, suckers, or through tissue culture. However, it is normally grown from seed. neem seeds are not viable for a very long time. After about two weeks they will no longer germinate. The seeds that are removed from the fruit should be put in water. Those seeds which sink are good ones and should be used. Some studies have shown that they can be used even after many years but only under specific condition and germination capacity is under 50%. Neem cuttings have to be planted as soon as they are cut for the neem to survive. The part that is cut is covered with straw and should be kept wet if it is to be planted after some time.

Preparation of nursery and Sowing
The soil should be dug 30 cm deep. Raised beds of 10m length, 1 m breadth and 15 cm height should be prepared. Farmyard manure, sand and local soil should be mixed in the ratio 1:1:3. This should be put on top of the soil for a height of 2.5 to 5 cm. Seeds are normally sown in the nursery in the months of July and August. The seeds should be sown at a distance of 15 to 20 cm and a depth of 1 to 1.5 cm, and then watered. There is no dormant period for neem seeds. Hence they can be sown as soon as they are collected. They germinate in a week’s time.
 

After 5 to 6 weeks the seedlings are removed from the nursery and planted in second nursery or in polythene bags. if polythene bags are used for transplanting, the bag should be filled with silt, sand,clay and farmyard manure in the ratio of 1:1:1:1. The seeds can also be sown directly in the polythene bags at the rate of 2 per bag. The healthy seedling is maintained and the other one removed. if the seeding are raised in the polythene bag they can be transported for long distances when required and then transplanted. The polythene bags that are used should be 150-200 gauge in weight. In the nursery a thatch should be provided for seedlings.
Transplantation
The place where neem seedlings are to be transplanted should be properly ploughed, The seedlings are ready for transplantation when they are six months old (15 to 22.5 cm height). If the seedlings which are kept for a long period the tap roots become very long and it is difficult to take out without breaking of roots. Seedlings which are healthy and not afflicted with any diseases should be chosen. Pits of dimension 30*30*30 cm should be dug at intervals of 3*3 m. The neem seedling should be transplanted during the period of the South East Monsoon. This increase their survival rate. Initially, they should be watered once in two or three day. After they grow well they can be wanted once in seven to ten days.

Harvesting of Neem Seeds
In most parts of India today, seeds that fall on the ground are simply collected. Neem fruit fall coincides with the monsoon. A known health hazard may arise because of poor handling. At moisture content above 14%, neem fruits carry the fungus Aspergillus flavus. This fungus under many conditions produce aflatoxins. Aflatoxins are extremely potent among carcinogens known and these could also contaminate seeds inside the fruits. They are extracted and concentrated along with pesticidal ingredients. This could prove to be a great barrier to the wide use of pesticides from this most promising tree.
From the human health point of view neem oil which is contaminated with aflatoxins can be of great significance in that it cannot have the same type of pesticidal property. Seed viability is also lowered. To avoid all this actual harvesting of seeds is recommended rather than a simple collection of seeds.

While harvesting neem seeds it must be ensured that the fruit colour is neither greenish yellow nor brownish yellow but plain absolute yellow. Greenish yellow fruit are not fully mature and are low in Azadirachtin content. After indentifying trees which have yellow fruit a tarpaulin cloth or plastic paper is spread under the tree. A stick is used to beat the branches the same way as one would to collect Tamarind.
 

Neem fruits now drop on the tarpaulin or plastic sheet. Since they do not come in contract with soil, there is no fear of fungus attack and aflatoxin development. Seeds thus collected are brought to the shade where one can further work on them. By twisting yellow fruits between index finger and thumb the pulp is removed. After the removal of pulp the seeds should be milky white in colour. The seeds are dried in shade for two or three days. The seeds are turned upside down while they are put to dry.
 

This type of harvesting increase the germinating capacity and viability of the seeds. The seeds also have better bio-efficacy and can be sold at absolute premium price in the markets.

This story may give us some answers why not to feed Gemilina (Neem) to livestock???
Region &7

[mikey]

The Neem Tree: A Miracle Plant
By Dr. Tahir Mahmood, Grotek Manufacturing Inc.

History
Neem is a tropical evergreen tree native to the Indian sub-continent. This tree has a history of growing up to 50 ft. high and has been used for many different purposes for more than 4500 years. The earliest documentation revealed usage of various parts of Neem tree like fruit, leaves, seed oil, roots and bark for their benefits to animals and human beings due to its medicinal properties. Its leaves and extract are well documented as medicine for skin diseases and as the best available tonic for the skin and external subcutaneous tissues. It is popularly known in India as village Dispensary (Medical Clinic). In the first millennium BC it was considered to be the remedy for all sorts of diseases in living beings. As scientists searched in dangerous rainforests and inaccessible areas of the world looking for useful plants, this tree was growing in front yards of houses and colleges, in every town, city and village of south Asia and Africa. It was just the familiarity that left this plants' miracles/importance hidden until a few scientists took a closer look at this ancient tree. After some observation, they found it extremely important in day to day life for curing all types of illnesses in humans and animals. Since then, Neem tree came to the attention of researchers around the world in order to explore its properties and usage in different areas of interest.

Importance of Neem Tree
Out of all the plants that have proved useful for humanity, a few are distinguished by their astonishing versatility. Among these, Neem tree (commonly known as Azadirachta Indica) is one of the most important ones found in arid regions of world. From its roots to its spreading crown, the tree contains a plethora of important compounds useful for animals, people and plants. Neem tree's virtues are, to a large extent, attributable to its chemical constituents.

Different parts of Neem tree and its oil extracted out of seed is being used in different parts of the world for different purposes. Two decades of research has revealed promising results in many disciplines like medicines, cosmetics and agriculture etc. This obscure species may be on the cusp of bringing enormous benefits to countries both poor and rich. Even some of the most cautious researchers are saying that Neem deserves to be called a wonder plant. These days many types of products are being consumed in daily life around the world made out of Neem and it's by-products. I will discuss briefly the usage and importance of Neem tree in some of the disciplines in the following paragraphs.

Medicines
Herbal medicines are used for treatment of different types of diseases in all parts of world. Neem tree is an important part of these herbal medicines and is mentioned in many ancient texts dealing with medicines. Traditional Indian medical authorities place it at the pinnacle of their pharma copeia. Due to extraordinary properties of Neem, its bark, leaves, flowers, seed and fruit pulp were and are now used to treat a wide range of diseases and complaints ranging from leprosy, diabetes, ulcers to skin disorders and constipation etc. Scientists from the developed world are working extensively in exploring Neem tree and its properties to formulate new antibiotics.

Cosmetics
Different parts of Neem tree are being used extensively in manufacturing of soaps, skin creams/lotions, shampoos, toothpastes, beauty aids and toiletries. The Neem twigs are more commonly being used as antiseptic tooth brushes. In most cases Neem oil/extract is being used for making these cosmetics like soaps and tooth pastes etc.

Agricultural
It is in agriculture where most of the scientists focused their research for exploring the benefits of Neem for crop production. Because of those findings, Neem oil, Neem cake, leaves and other parts of Neem tree are being used quite extensively in the agriculture sector in different parts of world. Its main uses in the agriculture sector include being an insecticide in food storage, as soil amendment, fertilizer efficiency enhancer, and very effective foliar pesticide.

Food Storage
In all areas of tropics, much of the harvested food is lost during storage because of worms, beetles and other infestations. People do not prefer to use chemicals insecticides on stored grains in general and more specifically for food stored for their own consumption. For centuries, Neem oil has provided farmers with an effective remedy against such insects. A very light coating of Neem oil protects stored food crops for up to 20 months from all types of infestations with no deterioration or loss of palatability. Neem fresh leaves are also used on small scale for storage of food grain at home quite effectively, but this is being done on a small scale.

Soil Amendment
Neem cake (after the oil is extracted from the seed kernels, the left over material is called cake) has been used for many centuries throughout Indian sub continent as an effective soil amendment. Farmers of this region have learned through experience that using Neem cake in soil produces larger and healthier plants that have few or no insect/disease problem. Several studies were also conducted by different scientists to find out why plants grew better in soil mixed with Neem cake. Their results revealed that Neem cake is richer in plant available nutrients than manures; it killed damaging nematodes, promoted large population of earth worms, helped keep nitrogen in the soil available for plants and provide significant protection from insects. Farmers of that region have a clear idea that by killing nematodes in soil, a major plant pest is eliminated from soil. Nematodes are very harmful for plants. Nematodes suck juice from roots of plants to the point where they are unable to supply sufficient nutrients to the plant. Then the plants look unhealthy, fail to grow and may eventually die despite sufficient food, water and care.

Use of Neem cake in soil also helps keep soil loose by promoting earthworm activities in soil, which helps in absorption of nutrients and water by plants more easily and efficiently. Neem cake allows plants to develop a strong defense system against these pest attacks by initially protecting plants from insect/pest. Secondly, Neem compounds absorbed through soil enhance these natural defense systems with proven nutritive, antifungal and insect repellent properties of Neem.

Pesticide (Insecticide and Fungicide)
Although Neem extract/oil has been under use for centuries for control of insects, the major work on Neem oil and its impact on insects started in 1959. A German Entomologist observed that during a plague of locust in Sudan, the only greenery left untouched despite the devastation by billions of winged locusts was the Indian Neem tree. He noticed that although the locust had landed on the tree and its leaves, they did not feed. The anti-feedant properties of Neem tree, which was well known in India, was the reason. This attracted the attention of the developed world which triggered research on such a powerful tree.

The natural properties of Neem oils pose no danger of toxic reactions in the environment. The seeds and leaves are now the source of a class of pesticide named soft pesticides (Non Toxic and Natural). The main mode of action of Neem oil is anti-feedant. Insects pests usually refuse to eat any plant covered with Neem oil. Its other derivatives include insect repellent and a reducer of an insect ability to reproduce. Its active ingredient, Azadirachtin, is similar to insect hormone (Ecdysones) which have naturally insect growth regulators which then interfere with the molting (shedding and regeneration of outer body layer) and metamorphosis (a process of insect birth). It is natural safe and biodegradable product which is extensively used in various parts of world as insecticide.

Millions of pounds of synthetic insecticides are being used on residential gardens and lawns and crops every year through out the world. Usually they are quick in action and kill any insect on contact, including the beneficial insects. Although these synthetic insecticides are being used specifically for insects, they can harm any living being who lives or pass through that area where spray is being used for insect killing. Almost all manufacturers of the insecticides have a caution of do not step on grass for at least three days after spray and keep pets, children away from that area. On the other hand, Neem oil is non-toxic to animals and people. Areas sprayed with Neem oil are not poisonous areas to be avoided for days. Only insects that are harmful for plant growth are affected by Neem oil, leaving honey bees and other beneficial insects unharmed. In fact, with the spray of Neem oil the average number and size of earth worms increase in sprayed area compared to unsprayed areas. There is growing awareness among people to use safe and natural products that can serve the purpose without effecting the environment.

Neem oil can also provide protection against fungal diseases. Spray of Neem oil (it has been observed with several experiments) on plants prevent the outbreak of Powdry Mildew disease quite effectively and in some cases better than any commercial product. Its use can also stop the production of Aflatoxin (a very toxic Carcinogenic substance in food grains) by inhibiting the activity of mold to produce this substance. It is considered most effective as a fungi preventive and as a cure after the disease is established on plants.

The plant kingdom is a vast storehouse of biologically active chemicals for pest control. Insects are less likely to develop resistance to this botanical control as their activity is multifaceted. Plant based insecticides are safer to non-target organisms. Neem oil is effective in controlling more than 200 species of insects pests reported by various researchers around the world and no other plant or synthetic substance has such a diverse action on insects. Scientists after studying more than 200 plants exhibiting insecticidal properties reach the consensus that Neem is the most effective and environmental friendly cure for the insects and diseases. At the same time no other tree has received as much attention as Neem in recent past. Its popularity is increasing day by day all over the world where people love to have alternatives to chemical/toxic pesticides. Many scientific institutions and agro industries are trying to make more effective pesticides formulation based on Neem. Use Neem Oil type soft pesticides that can not only serve the purpose but also does not pose any threat to the environment.


Comments: made into insecticidal soap,sounds like the main reason why not to feed to your livestock,may poison them.
Region 7