This formulation, SoluNeem, could revolutionise the natural pesticides market as case studies have shown the pesticide is more effective on insects than any other product currently available in the national and international market.

``The field efficacy of SoluNeem was tested on a paddy farm by the Frederick Institute of Toxicology and Plant Protection, Chennai, which showed that SoluNeem has a much higher activity potential than any other neem-based pesticide,'' says Prof. P V Subba Rao, scientific director and CEO of VMSRF. Field trials on cotton, vegetables and grapes and other fruits are also being done toconfirm the efficacy of SoluNeem, says Rao.

Rao, former head of the department of biochemistry at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, also announced this achievement at the International Conference on Neem held in Vancouver last month. VMSRF is now on the look-out for a suitable commercial partner to market SoluNeem. ``We are exploring the possibility of tying up with Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilizers (another UB group company) and hope to go commercial soon. The product will have enormous potential both in the international and national markets with the increasing concerns about the safety of chemical pesticides used in crop protection,'' Rao says. SoluNeem uses an extract of azadirachtin-A, a limonoid from the neem seed kernel, which has proven to be a potent insect growth regulator. ``This ingredient has the capacity to act on a wide range of insects serving as an anti-feedant, moult inhibitor, oviposition deterrent and causes reduction in fecundity. Unlike synthetic pesticides, which are fastacting, the effects of neem-based pesticides are slow, but the definite advantage is that resistance build-up is less likely,'' says Rao. ``SoluNeem is a unique, completely water soluble combination of various limonoids of neem and has been produced by a patented technology that enhances the thermostability, bioavailability of the pesticide and not only has a prolonged shelf-life, but also potentiates insect growth regulating activity,'' says Rao.

A number of neem-based formulations are commercially available as emulsifiable concentrates, suspension concentrates and ultra low volume formulations. All these products contain surfactants and sticky agents such as methanol, ethanol, xylene, turpentine, isopropyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol, etc. ``But these pesticides degrade very quickly on exposure to sunlight and water. The carriers in the surfactants in these formulations also contribute to the degradation of the active ingredients and poor shelf-life,'' explains Rao. With SoluNeem, he says, there is noorganic solvent or surfactant and being water-soluble, it is more effective on insects, which easily ingest water. The pesticide can also be absorbed by plants because of the water base and this could give them additional protection, says Rao.

``It is an ideal component for any integrated pest management programme, organic farming or biological control programme. Tests have also shown that SoluNeem does not have any harmful effects on humans even if up to 300 grams are ingested,'' says Rao. This would mean that pesticide residues in fruit and vegetables that use SoluNeem would be practically harmless to humans, he adds. SoluNeem has been made as a white, amorphous powder, which can be stored indefinitely without any loss in insecticidal activity, and instantly dissolves in water to give a solution that is ready for spraying. ``VMSRF has not just developed the formulation, we have also done all the downstream processing and it is ready for commercial manufacture,'' says Rao.