Neem is a part of the Meliaceae family, which includes mahogany. Azadirachta indica is the botanical name for it today. It is a popular medicinal plant used in traditional Indian medicine.
- It is known for its ability to naturally repel various types of pests ranging from mosquitos to termites, which is possible in part due to the presence of the chemical compound Azadirachtin, which is a naturally occurring pest repellant.
- Every Indian must have heard about the use of neem in various home remedies, but what many people don’t know is that they are also used in fertilizers in the form of Neem cakes.
- In its purest form, neem oil is made by cold-pressing neem tree kernels. The seeds and leaves yield the most oil, although any portion can be used. After crushing Neem kernels for their oil, the remaining residue that is devoid of oil is known as Neem Cake.
- This seed kernel contains NPK (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium), as well as nortriterpenoids and isoprenoids. These nutrients get up in the seed cake because they are nematicidal (used to kill plant-parasitic nematodes in nature).
- When preparing the soil for sowing, use neem cakes. You must plough the soil extensively while also thoroughly blending the Neem cakes. You’ll get more harvest results if you thoroughly mix the cakes into the soil. It can be used as an IPM (Integrated Pest Management) fertilizer when combined with mixed vegetation.
- It enhances IPM procedures when used in mixed vegetation. IPM, or integrated pest management, is a comprehensive method to growing healthy plants.
- It is a crop management and growth method that employs a variety of crop control and growth techniques to supply plants with the least amount of pesticides.
Benefits of using Neem Cakes:
- It is biodegradable and may be used with a variety of other fertilizers.
- As it will inhibit nitrification, It will enhance the efficiency of other fertilizers.
- It has a slow-release, this continuous release of nutrients ensures constant growth of your crops or plants during the suitable season.
Instead of being a nutrient collector, the Neem Cakes function as a fertilizer for plants. The Neem Cake includes NPK (Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium) as well as other micronutrients, allowing your plants to be fed continually thanks to its delayed release method.