Neem oil and potassium soap mixed together can be an ideal combination for controlling pests of all types of plants and crops, with very low environmental impact and good repetitive efficacy.
In this article, we want to summarize the main applications of neem oil and potassium soap to control insects and mites in all types of plants.
First ally: potassium soap
Potassium soap used in agriculture is related to the classical way of preparing soap. It consists of the saponification of oil and water using potassium hydroxide.
When applied directly to the crop, it has the ability to dissolve molasses and eggs found on the surface of the plant. And if this soap comes into contact with the surface of the insects, it can obstruct their airways and lead to their death.
The cleaning action on the leaves and stems and the insecticidal action are extremely interesting, since there are a large number of pests which extract the sap (mainly molasses) and leave the leaves sticky, reducing the ability of the crop to carry out photosynthesis.
Potassium soap is effective, with patience and consistent application, against aphids, whiteflies, thrips and spider mites.
The doses of use usually used are the following, and it depends on the concentration of the product:
- Potassium soap 50%: recommended dose of 2.5-5 ml/L (250-500 ml/hl)
- Potassium soap 25%: recommended dose of 1-2% (10-20 ml/hl).
Second ally: neem oil
The neem oil It is an insecticide based on natural oil of seeds of neem tree (Azadirachta indica), common in parts of India and Myanmar.
Neem oil is used in agriculture to control pests by blocking the metamorphosis process of the larva. Therefore, as it is a product that requires the disruption of the insect’s biological cyclethe process is slow, slowly decreasing its population.
And it is that the neem seed contains an active ingredient historically used as an insecticide, the azadirachtin. This component acts as a growth regulator of insects in all their larval stages, but without effects on eggs or adults.
Besides, the seeds also contain other insecticidal compounds such as salannin, nimbin and meliantriolalthough the one with the greatest insecticidal action of 70-80% is azadirachtin.
Neem Oil Usage Dosage: 3-5ml/L (300-500ml/hl)
Can you mix neem oil and potassium soap?
In both cases, the action of neem oil and potassium soap is the touch, therefore, it is necessary to refine the treatment and cover the surface of the plant well (many pests are located on the underside of the leaf). Any blight that happens after the treatment will have no effect.
For this reason, flying insects such as whiteflies are the most difficult to control because as soon as they see an increase in humidity from foliar application, they take flight and land after applying it.
Since neem oil and potassium soap are broad-spectrum products, it is recommended that they be applied first or last, when the flight of bees and bumblebees decreases, as well as the possibility of causing phytotoxicity. due to high temperatures.
As neem oil is a product whose effect is seen in the medium term, by regulating the growth of insects, and it only acts at the larval level, it needs reinforcement against the eggs and adults, like potassium soap.
For it, the two products are combined, perfectly miscible before application, to enhance the effect and seek the synergy of the two. Each will go, as is logical, to the corresponding and recommended dose in this article.