Onion

Common names: Onion, Shallot Scientific name: Allium sepa Family: Alliaceae

Photo by Jewel Bissdorf

Plant parts used

Bulbs

Mode of action
Insecticidal and repellent

Formulations
Materials Onion bulb extract 1 (Vijayalakshmi, et.al., 1999: pp. 30-32) 85 grams of chopped onion 50 ml of mineral oil (kerosene) 10 ml of soap 450 ml of water Strainer Bottle container Onion bulb extract 2 (Stoll, 2000: p. 172) 1 kg of bulb onions 1 liter of water Cooking pot Pail Strainer In a pot, bring 1 liter of water to boil. Chop the onions, then place in a covered container. Pour the boiling water into Dilute the 1 liter extract with 10 liters of water. Spray thoroughly on the infested plant, preferably early in the Ants Scales Spider mites Thrips Add chopped onion to kerosene. Allow this mixture to stand for 24 hours. Add water and stir-in the soap. Store in bottle container. Dilute 1 part of the emulsion with 19 parts of water (for example, 50 ml of emulsion to 950 ml of water). Shake well before spraying. Spray thoroughly on the infested plant, preferably early in the morning. Whiteflies Methods of preparation How to use Plant pests

the container. Let it stand for 24 hours. Onion bulb extract 3 (Stoll, 2000: p. 223) 50 g of bulb onion 1 liter distilled water Pail Strainer Finely chop the onion. Add to water. Mix well. Strain.

morning or late afternoon.

Spray thoroughly on the infested plant, preferably early in the morning or late afternoon.

Alternaria Anthracnose Fusarium wilt Fungal leaf blight

Standard procedures for the preparation and application of the plant extracts
1. Select plant parts that are free from diseases. 2. 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. 3. 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. 4. Do not have a direct contact with the crude extract while in the process of the preparation and during the application. 5. Make sure that you place the plant extract out of reach of children and house pets while leaving it overnight. 6. Harvest all the mature and ripe fruits before plant extract application. 7. 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. 8. Wear protective clothing while applying the extract. 9. Wash your hands after handling the plant extract.

Effect on humans
None known during the write-up, however take extra caution as extract maybe harmful to people with sensitive skin.

Effect on non-target organisms

None

References
Stoll, G. (2000): Natural Crop Protection in the Tropics Margraf Verlag. Weikersheim. Vijayalakshmi, K.; Subhashini, B.; Koul, S. (1999): Plants in Pest Control: Garlic and onion. Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems, Chennai, India.