Neem Cake

Neem cake organic manure is the by-product obtained in the process of cold
pressing of Neem fruits and kernels, and the solvent extraction process for neem oil cake.
It is a potential source of organic manure under the Bureau of India Standards,Specification No. 8558. Neem has demonstrated considerable potential as a fertilizer. Forthis purpose, neem cake and neem leaves are especially promising.

Components

Neem cake organic manure has more nitrogen (2-3%), phosphorus (1%), potassium (1.4%),calcium and magnesium compared to farmyard manure. It is rich in both sulphur compounds and bitter limonoids.

According to research calculations, neem cake seems to make soil more fertile due to an ingredient that blocks soil bacteria from converting nitrogenous compounds into nitrogen gas. It is a nitrification inhibitor and prolongs the availability of nitrogen to both short duration and long duration crops.

Use
as a Fertilizer

Neem cake organic manure protects plant roots from nematodes, soil grubs and white ants
probably due to its content of the residual limonoids. It also acts as a natural
fertilizer with pesticidal properties. Neem cake is widely used in India to fertilize paddy, cotton and sugarcane. Usage of neem cake have shown an increase in the dry matterin Tectona grandis (Teak), Acacia nilotica (Gum Arabic), and other forest
trees.

Pest Control

Neem cake is effective in the management of insects and pests. The bitter principles of
the soil and cake have been reported to have seven types of activities (a) antifeedant (b)attractant (c)repellent (d) insecticide (e) nematicide (f) growth disruptor and (g)antimicrobial.

The cake contains salannin, nimbin, azadirachtin and azadiradione as the major components. Of these, azadirachtin and meliantriol are used as locust antifeedants while salannin is used as an antifeedant for the housefly.