Content area
Full Text
ABSTRACT:
Anacyclus pyrethrum is a plant belongs to the family Asteraceae and commonly known as Akarakara. The flowers of the species cinerariefolium have long been exploited commercially for their insecticidal properties. These properties were probably discovered accidentally in 1840, by a German woman in Dalmatia, who received a bouquet of flowers on her birthday. After a night long partying, she threw the flowers into a corner. In the morning the flowers were surrounded by dead insects. The deaths of the insects were associated with the insecticidal properties of the pyrethrum. Since then the pyrethrum has undergone extensive research establishing its complete, effective and safe commercial exploitation as a source of the natural insecticides collectively known as pyrethrins. Here an attempt made to collect different scientific data of Anacyclus pyrethrum and review its potential..
KEYWORDS: Anacyclus pyrethrum, Akarakara, pyrethrum activity,
1. INTRODUCTION:
Plant Profile:
Botanical name:- Anacyclus pyrethrum
Synonym :-Pellitory, akalakari, akarakara, dalmation, Akalkara
1.1 Classification:-
Kingdome:- Plantae
Division:- Spermatophyta
Sub-division:- Angiossperms
Class:- Dicotyledons
Sub class:- Metachlamydae
Order:- Companulate
Family :- Compositae or Asteraceae
Genus :- Anacyclus
Species:- Pyrethrum
1.2 Geographical Sources:-z
Akarakara (Anacyclus pyrethrum), is a widely-distributed plant known in different countries under different names1. Kenya is the leading producer of pyrethrum extract producing approximately 70% of the world consumption, Other large producers of pyrethrum are Rwanda,Tanzania and Tasmania in Australia2.In india it is found along the himalaya , jammu and kashmir , and bengal 3.
1.3 Cultivation and Collection:-
Pyrethrum is cultivated in tropical zone at an attitude of 1500 to 3500 meters, depending upon the distance from equator. The soil requirements depend upon rain and other climatic conditions in a particular area. A rain fall between 800 to 1300 mm consider suitable for pyrethrum cultivation. Since the plant is very sensitive to frost, sunny periods interrupting rainfall are desired condition for cultivation. It needs a temperature between 15 ic to 25 ic. The seeds are soaked in water and are then wrapped in sacking and buried in damp n sand for four or five days.
They are then mixed with dry sand and sown in well drained, sunny seed bed having carefully plawed, softsandy soil which has been freed from stones and clouds. Fertilizer consisting of manure and superphosphate is worked...