Madre de cacao as natural insecticide, repellent, and rodenticidal

Common names: Kakawate, Madriado, Madre de cacao
Scientific name: Gliricidia sepium
Family: Leguminosae

Madre de cacao is a nitrogen-fixing tree. In some areas, it is referred to as a quick-stick due to its characteristic of growing almost right away just by cutting it and directly planting it in the ground. It is a fast growing tree with a maturity height of 10 meters (33 feet). It is adaptable to almost any soil environment, including infertile soils. It is tolerant to salt spray and water logging. It can tolerate drought for up to 6 to 8 months. This tree can be potentially weedy, but rarely causes a problem. Its ubiquitous characteristic makes it a good alternative for feeds due to its availability in almost all areas in the country.

Plant part used: Leaves and bark
Mode of action:Insecticidal, repellent, and rodenticidal

Madre de cacao leaf extract

Materials:
½ kg of leaves
Grinder or mortar and pestle
Pail or basin
Strainer

Method of preparation:

Grind or pound leaves.
Soak overnight in water.
Strain.

How to use:
Add 20 liters of water
to the filtrate.
Spray on infested plant
thoroughly.

Target pests:

Armyworm
Cabbage looper
Caseworm
Tobacco budworm
Whorl maggots

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Madre de cacao & neem

Materials
1 kg of Madre de cacao leaves
1 kg of neem leaves
Knife
Pail
Strainer
Water

Method of preparation

Shred the leaves.
Soak leaves in 5 liters of water
for 3 days.
Strain.

How to use
Add water to make up
20 liters of filtrate.
Spray on infested plants.
Spraying interval is 4-5 days.

Target pests
Aphids
Blister beetles
Fall armyworm
Termites
Whitefly
White grubs
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Madre de cacao & chili

Materials

2 kg of Madre de cacao leaves
12 pieces of chilies
Grinder
Pail
Strainer

Method of preparation
Grind Madre de cacao
leaves and chilies.
Soak in water overnight.
Strain.

How to use
Add water to make up
20 liters of filtrate.
Spray on infested plants.

Target pests
Bean pod weevil
Various insect pests
in tomato seedlings

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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
Effect on non-target organisms: None; foliage is used as feed for livestock and as fertilizer.

Source:

DOST. (1998): Madre de cacao. Department of Science and Trade. Manila, Philippines.
Stoll, G. (2000): Natural protection in the tropics. Margraf Verlag. Weikersheim.
www. bar.gov.ph

Photo courtesy of bar.gov.ph

Lanzones Farming

• Grown in Southern Tagalog and Mindanao
• 10, 330 ha. area planted
• Grows well in clay loam soils and in places where the ground water is shallow.
• Thrives best in warm humid climate with an even distribution of rainfall throughout the year.

Varieties:

DUKU

• The tree is usually shorter than the other varieties but has a wider crown.
• Leaves are hairless.
• Fruits are round and are borne from 4 to 12 fruits per raceme.
• Pericarp is thick (up to 6 mm) with no latex.
• It is sweet with a delectable flavor.
• The tree is usually shorter than the other varieties but has a wider crown.

PAETE

• Grown mostly in Luzon, Misamis Oriental and Camiguin Island.
• Fruit is elongated and smallest among the varieties.
• Leaves are lanceolate.
• The tree is erect.
• Trees are relatively susceptible to bark borer infestation.

LONGKONG

• A variety introduced from Thailand and Indonesia.
• The fruit is sweet and tasty.
• Almost seedless.
• The skin or peel has no latex.

Site Selection:

• Flat to hilly within 600 m above sea level.
• The land should have a loamy or sandy soil.
• 2,500 – 3,000 mm annual rainfall
• 75-80% relative humidity

Preparation of Planting Materials:

• Select only plump and well-developed seeds.
• Carefully remove the flesh adhering the seed.
• Germinate the seeds in light loamy soils or in germination beds with sawdust.
• Germinated seedling are ready for potting in 8” x 11” x 0.003 plastic bag when the first pair leaves have appear.
• At 12-18 months from pricking the rootstocks are ready for asexual propagation.
• At 6-12 months after grafting, the asexually propagated plants are ready for field planting.
• Rebagging should be done when polyethylene bag becomes brittle
• Rear seedlings under a nursery shade allowing full recovery of the plants prior to field planting.

Land Preparation:

• Clear/underbrush the whole area.
• Plow and harrow to loosen the soil.
• Plant temporary shade (ipil-ipil, madre de cacao or banana) before field planting.
• Stake a distance of 5 m between hills and 5 m between rows.
• Prepare holes 25 cm in diameter at a depth of 25 cm or big enough to accommodate the ball of soil supporting the bagged plants.

Planting:

• Apply basally, 50-100 gm of complete fertilizer (14-14-14) or ammophos (16-20-0).
• Remove the plastic bag and plant the seedling into the prepared hole.
• Cover the hole with top soil and press gently.
• Water immediately after planting.

Care and Management:

1. Ring weeding should be done when necessary.
2. Shallow cultivation of the plant to a radius of at least 1 m should be done twice a year or as the need arises.
3. Mulch the tree with coconut husks or grasses to conserve soil moisture.
4. Pruning

• Judicious pruning should be done during the dry season.
• Cut surfaces should be applied with copper fungicides.
• Start pruning when the plants is 1.5 m tall.
• Decapitate the apical shoot to a height of 1 m to induce formation of secondary stems and bend the stems outward to promote good branching.
• When the plants are matured, prune every after harvest to remove diseased and weak branches, and shoots which grow parallel to secondary stem.

5. Flower Thinning

• Remove excess cluster of flowers that emerge in tertiary and small branches, short clusters (less than 3 inches) and overcrowded clusters to prevent deformities in fruits.

6. Fertilization

a. Vegetative Stage - Ammonium Sulfate (21-0-0) - 100 to 200 grams/tree/year
b. Bearing Stage - Complete Fertilizer (14-14-14)- 5 to 8 kg/tree/year after harvest

Drill or broadcast the fertilizer 1 m away from the base of the plant depending upon the topography of the land.

Harvesting:

• Harvest the fruits 140-150 days from flower formation to fruit ripening.
• Do the harvesting early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
• Harvest the fruits by climbing the tree and cut the ripe bunches with sharp cutters or pruning shears.

Post Harvest Handling:

• sort, clean, air dry and grade the harvested fruits.
• pack the fruits in cartons or crates with liners or cushion to reduce damage during handling.
• store the fruits in cold storage at 10 o C with relative humidity of 85-90 % to extend the shelf-life of the harvested fruits.

Source and Photo courtesy: Orlando C. Pascua; RG Maghirang (ed.)(Edited August 2006); www. hvcc.da.gov.ph