Pyrethrum

Common names: Chrysanthemum
Scientific name: Chrysanthemum spp.
Family: Compositae

Flowers, leaves, and roots

Insecticidal, repellent, fungicidal, nematocidal

Materials	Methods of preparation	How to use	Target pests
Pyrethrum extract (Ellis; Bradley, 1996: pp. 480-481) 1 cup of fresh pyrethrum daisy flower heads 30 ml of rubbing alcohol (70% isoprophyl alcohol) Pail Strainer	Soak flowers in alcohol overnight. Strain through a cheesecloth.	Add 3 liters of water to the filtrate. Stir well. Spray on infested plants	Aphids Cabbage loopers Codling moths Mexican bean beetles Stink bugs Thrips Tomato pinworms Whiteflies
Pyrethrum water extract (Stoll: pp. 150-152) 1-1.5 kg of dried pyrethrum 3 kg of liquid soap 100 liters of water Drum	Finely shred dried pyrethrum. Add into the drum with water. Stir vigorously. Strain. Add soap. Mix well.	Spray on the target pests preferably in the evening.	Aphid Bean fly Cabbage white butterfly Coffee bugs Colorado beetle Diamondback moth Eggplant fruit and shoot borer Flea beetle Gall midge Grasshopper Green leafhopper Locust Thrips
Pyrethrum powder extract (Stoll: p. 152) 3 g of pyrethrum powder 1 liter of water 1 tsp of soap Pail	Add the pyrethrum powder and soap to water. Stir well.	Immediately apply on infested plants preferably in the evening.	Flea beetles

Select plant parts that are free from diseases.
When storing the plant parts for future usage, make sure that they are properly dried and are stored in an airy container (never use plastic container), away from direct sunlight and moisture. Make sure that they are free from molds before using them.
Use utensils for the extract preparation that are not use for your food preparation and for drinking and cooking water containers. Clean properly all the utensils every time after using them.
Do not have a direct contact with the crude extract while in the process of the preparation and during the application.
Make sure that you place the plant extract out of reach of children and house pets while leaving it overnight.
Harvest all the mature and ripe fruits before plant extract application.
Always test the plant extract formulation on a few infested plants first before going into large scale spraying. When adding soap as an emulsifier, use a potash-based one.
Wear protective clothing while applying the extract.
Wash your hands after handling the plant extract.

Plant extract can cause irritation to sensitive skin.

Recent studies show that phyrethrin-based chemical products are harmful to natural enemies, fishes and crustaceans, and pose environmental risks.

External links

Colorado State University Cooperative Extension. Friendly pesticides for home gardens. http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/Garden/02945.html
The Ohio State University. Insect and mite management alternatives. http://ohioline.osu.edu/b504/b504_6.html
NC State University. Pyrethrum. http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/perennials/Pyretro.htm
Botanical Resources Australia Pty.Ltd. What is phyrethrum? http://www.botanicalra.com.au/HTML/pyrethrum_the_product.htm

Ellis, B.; Bradley, F. (1996): The organic gardener's handbook of natural insect and disease control. Rodale Press. Emmaus, Pennsylvania.
Stoll, G. (2000): Natural protection in the tropics. Margraf Verlag. Weikersheim.

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