Comment contrôler les termites des champs sans produit chimique
Sommaire
- 1 Lutte contre les termites sans produits chimiques
- 1.1 Qu'est-ce que les termites?
- 1.2 Avantages des termites
- 1.3 Contrôle chimique
- 1.4 Adding organic material to the soil
- 1.5 Encouraging predators
- 1.6 Substitute food sources
- 1.7 Crop rotation
- 1.8 Healthy plants for transplanting
- 1.9 Magnets
- 1.10 Breaking up mounds and queen removal
- 1.11 Physical barriers
- 1.12 Plants with termite resistance
- 1.13 Plant preparations
- 1.14 Reference list
- 1.15 Related Articles
- 1.16 Notes
- 1.17 Contacts
- 1.18 Categories
Lutte contre les termites sans produits chimiques
D'après la "lutte contre les termites sans produits chimiques", produite par HDRA - the organic organisation (l'organisation biologique)
Qu'est-ce que les termites?
Les termites, groupe d'insectes (Isoptera) constitués de 2500 espèces dont 300 sont considérées comme nuisibles. Les termites sont les ravageurs les plus destructeurs des régions tropicales et peuvent causer des problèmes considérables dans l'agriculture, la foresterie et le logement.
Il existe plusieurs familles et sous-familles. Certains ont des nids souterrains, d'autres dans le bois, comme les arbres creux, d'autres encore construisent des monticules.
Avant que des méthodes de contrôle puissent être adoptées une identification de base des espèces de ravageurs ou de la famille est nécessaire. Cela peut être fait en observant le comportement des ravageurs et le motif de dommages sur l'arbre ou de la culture.
Le type le plus gênant des termites dans l'agriculture sont les termites champignonnistes. Ils se nourrissent de la matière organique morte tels que les résidus de culture, paillis et le sol en matière organique (humus). Toutefois, lorsque ce type de nourriture n'est pas disponible, ils mangent les plantes vivantes, y compris les cultures comme l'arachide, le millet et le maïs.
Les termites moissonneurs se trouvent dans les zones arides et semi-désertiques. Ils construisent des nids souterrains qui peuvent être difficiles à localiser. Ils recueillent les plantes verte et causent des dommages aux cultures. Ils attaquent les plantes malades, flétries ou endommagées.
(la traduction française est en traitement...) Modèle:French Translation
Avantages des termites
Bien que généralement considérés comme nuisibles, les termites peuvent aussi offrir de nombreux avantages. Par conséquent, avant que des mesures soient entreprises, l'évaluation des avantages sur l'écosystème suivants devrait être faite.
Les avantages comprennent:
- L'aération du sol en raison des activités de creusement des termites.
- La répartition et la libération de la matière organique comme les termites mangent et digèrent le sol.
- Amélioration de la fertilité des sols par les termitières, qui sont riches en minéraux lorsque celles-ci sont écrasées vers le bas et incorporées dans le sol.
- Une source de minéraux pour le bétail qui se lèchent les monticules.
- Une source d'aliments riches en protéines pour de nombreux organismes, y compris les fourmis, les pintades et autres mammifères y compris les humains.
- Dans certains pays, l'argile des monticules est utilisé pour fabriquer des briques séchées au soleil plus résistantes.
Contrôle chimique
La méthode généralement tolérée pour lutter les termites au cours des années a été les pesticides chimiques. Cependant les produits chimiques sont coûteux et ont de nombreux effets nocifs.
Sécurité des personnes
Les pesticides artificiels peuvent rapidement trouver leur chemin dans les chaînes alimentaires et les cours d'eau. Cela crée des risques sanitaires pour l'homme. Il y a aussi beaucoup d'inquiétude pour les personnes qui utilisent des pesticides chimiques. Les produits peuvent être utilisés à mauvais escient parce que les instructions ne sont pas écrites dans la langue comprise par la personne qui les utilise. Cela a conduit à de nombreux accidents et décès.
Respect de l'environnement
Il y a un certain nombre d'effets nocifs que les pesticides chimiques peuvent avoir sur l'environnement.
- Les pesticides artificielle peut tuer les insectes utiles qui mangent les parasites. Juste une pulvérisation peut bouleverser l'équilibre entre les ravageurs et les prédateurs utiles qui les mangent.
- Les produits chimiques artificiels peuvent rester dans l'environnement et dans le corps des animaux causant des problèmes pour de nombreuses années.
- Les parasites deviennent résistants aux pesticides chimiques de sorte que des produits plus puissants sont nécessaires.
Coûts
Using natural pest and disease control is often cheaper than applying chemical pesticides because products and materials which are already in the home and around the farm are most often used.
Organic control methods
There are a number of alternatives to using chemical pesticides for termite control. These methods work within the natural system and help promote natural pest control mechanisms.
- Organic control methods do not pollute the environment and are not harmful to beneficial insects and animals, or to the people using them.
- Organic methods aim to use locally available materials and do not rely on importing expensive materials from elsewhere.
- Organic methods are cheap and easy to use.
- Organic methods preserve genetic diversity within the farming system which helps provide *Organic methods regulate termite numbers rather than eliminate them so that the benefits provided by termites are not lost.
The level of control depends on the knowledge of pest species, the tree or crop species, climatic conditions and other environmental factors such as soil type and local vegetation cover. Methods of control are more effective if used in conjunction with each other, with maximum use of local knowledge and resources.
Termite control methods are described in this booklet. Some of them come from individual research studies and have not been widely tested.
Adding organic material to the soil
Fungus-growing termites prefer to eat dead plant material. Their attacks are thought to be related to soils with low organic matter content. This is because such soils do not contain enough food for termites to live and they resort to feeding on living plant material. Adding compost or well-rotted manure to the soil and sowing green manures helps to increase the organic matter in the soil.
Digging compost into the soil to increase organic matter content
Encouraging predators
Termites have many predators, including spiders, beetles, flies, wasps and especially ants. Other predators including frogs, reptiles, birds and mammals such as aardvarks, pangolins, bats, monkeys and humans. Encouraging this kind of wildlife will help to reduce the number of termites. Bushes and trees are a home for many of these useful creatures. These areas of natural habitat can be left around fields where crops are grown. If these areas are destroyed then there is an imbalance between the populations of predator and pest.
Substitute food sources
Damage from termites which feed on dead plant material can be reduced by adding organic material to the soil. The farmer should avoid having bare, dry soil around crops.
However, there is also a short term solution which involves providing termites with an alternative source of food. This can be done by using mulch around the base of plants. Mulching with items such as hay, manure, wood shavings, wood ash or threshed maize cobs has been shown (in South Africa and Uganda), to dramatically decrease termite attacks. Termites are attracted to the mulch rather than the crop. Vetiver grass leaf mulch has been shown to prevent termite attack around the base of trees.
However, offering substitute food may also attract termites to the area and increase the overall damage done to trees and crops. Each case is likely to be different and dependent on termite species and tree/crop species.
Crop rotation
Planting the same crop on the same land year after year reduces soil fertility and structure. Crops growing in such conditions will be weaker and susceptible to termites. Crop rotation can play an important role in reducing termite attack.
Crop rotation means that crops are grown on a different piece of land each year. This can prevent pest and disease build up and also help the soil to recover nutrients.
Healthy plants for transplanting
- Plants which are suffering from disease or lack of water are generally more susceptible to termites than healthy plants. It is therefore important that plants are kept healthy and watered.
- In dry areas it is recommended that seeds should be sown at the beginning of the wet season to give the plants a chance to establish themselves and remain healthy in the field.
- Only healthy plants should be transplanted into the field. Great care should be taken during transplanting and pruning (leaves and roots) as termites may enter plants through scar tissues.
- If there is a bag around the root of a tree seedling, it is recommended that it should not be completely removed when transplanting as it can act as a barrier against termites. However it is important that the bag does not prevent the plant/roots from growing. It should still allow the plants roots to grow into the soil. Banana fibre pots are very ineffective as termites will eat them.
- Adding organic composts and manure to the planting area is recommended as this will produce healthier trees and crops. Whereas, inorganic fertilisers encourage fast growing soft tissue which is more likely to be attacked by termites.
Magnets
Placing strongbar magnets in the soil next to a new termite mound can prevent a mound from growing. This disturbs those species of termite which build their mounds in a north-south direction along magnetic lines.
Breaking up mounds and queen removal
On deep cracking soils, the regular disturbance through cracking prevents termites from building extensive mounds. On other soils artificial breaking up of mounds and galleries can have the same effect. Repeated digging and ploughing of the soil may reduce termite damage. Manual and explosive destruction of nests followed by the removal of the queen is also effective.
Physical barriers
Building barriers around buildings and nurseries can prevent attack from subterranean species. Barriers should be partially above and below ground and should be composed of a material that is impenetrable to termites such as basalt, sand or crushed volcanic cinders. Particle size of the material is critical, they should not be too large for the termites to carry away, and not so small that termites can pack the particles to create a continuous passage through which they can move.
Plants with termite resistance
Crops
There is little knowledge about crop resistance to termite attack. However, in general indigenous crops are more resistant to termites than exotic crops. For instance, in Africa, sorghum and millet are more resistant to termites than maize and cowpea, and bambara nuts are not attacked while groundnuts suffer serious damage. Annual crops are attacked towards harvest time while perennial crops are attacked most destructively during dry seasons or in early stages of growth. It may be advisable to establish small plantations in the field prior to larger scale plantations in order to discover if the crop or tree is resistant to local termites in local conditions.
Trees
The degree of resistance depends on the tree species, the origin of the tree seed, the age and condition of the tree, the termite species and where the tree is growing (region/country). However as with crops, indigenous species are more resistant than exotics. The following table gives a number of trees and shrubs that have shown to be termite resistant.
Trees and shrubs with termite resistance
Species |
Common name |
Termite resistant part |
Comments |
Acacia polyacantha |
hook thorn |
More resistant that most | |
Afrormosia laxiflora |
Wood/pulp |
||
Albizia odoratissima |
tes shade tree |
Wood/pulp |
|
Albizia zygia |
Termite durable but not resistant | ||
Azadirachta indica |
neem, nim |
||
Borassus aethiopum |
African fan palm |
The fibrous wood is highly resistant | |
Brachylaena hutchinsii |
muhugu oil tree |
Highly resistant, almost impenetrable to termites | |
Capparis aphylla |
Wood/pulp |
Termite resistant shrub | |
Catalpa bignonioides |
common catawpa |
Resistant to Reticulitermes flavipes | |
Cedrus deodora |
himalayan cedar |
Wood/pulp |
|
Daniellia oliveri |
Gum/resin |
||
Detarium senegalense |
Wood/pulp |
Oral poison | |
Dodonaea viscosa |
purple hop bush |
Wood/pulp |
Termite resistant shrub |
Erythropleum suaveolens |
Wood/pulp |
Oral poison | |
Eucalyptus microcorys |
More resistant than other Eucalyptus | ||
Grevillea robusta |
silky oak, silver oak |
Termite tolerant in Tanzania | |
Juniperus procera |
E. African pencil cedar |
Highly resistant | |
Melia azedarach |
white cedar |
Wood/pulp, leaves, seeds, oil |
Oral poison |
Strychnos nux-vomica |
Leaves |
Oral poison | |
Zanthoxylum xanthoxyloides |
Wood/pulp |
There are many other species with termicidal properties including:
- Acacia catechu (catechu, khair),
- Acacia mearnsii (black wattle),
- Acacia melanoxylon (Australian blackwood),
- Albizia saman (saman),
- Afzelia cuanzensis (pod mahogany),
- Balanites aegyptiaca (desert date),
- Bridelia micrantha (mitserie),
- Cassia brewsteeri (Brewsters cassia),
- Casuarina cunninghammiana (river she-oak),
- Eucalyptus camaldulensis (red gum),
- Gliricidia sepium (mother of cocoa),
- Grevillea glauca (East African mahogany),
- Leucaena leucocephala(ipil ipil).
Plant preparations
Plant parts and plant extracts can be used effectively. These can be removed from the plant and used as a natural insecticide by grinding up the relevant parts, placing in boiling water, stirring and leaving to soak. The mixture is then sprayed onto the pest infested crop. Alternatively the plant part, such as toxic fruit juices, pulps or shavings can be applied directly.
Grinding up plant parts to make a natural preparation for termite control
Plants with termite control properties
Species |
Common name |
Termite control property |
Parts used |
Acacia nilotica |
Egyptian thorn |
Anti-insect |
Wood/pulp |
Agave americana |
American aloe |
Repellent, insecticidal |
Whole plant |
Allium sativum |
garlic |
Anti-feedant, bacterial, fungicidal, repellent |
Bulbs |
Anacardium occidentale |
cashew |
Anti-insect, repellent |
Seeds, oil |
Argemone mexicana |
Mexican poppy |
Insecticidal, repellent |
Whole plant |
Azadirachta indica |
neem, nim |
Termiticidal, anti-feedant |
Leaves, seeds |
Bidens pilosa |
blackjack |
Anti-feedant, insecticidal, repellent |
Whole plant, mature seeds |
Boswellia dalzielii |
Repellent |
Gum/resin | |
Calatropis gigantea |
Anti-insect |
Leaves, sap/latex/juice | |
Calatropis procera |
Termiticidal |
Latex | |
Carya ovata |
shagbark hickory |
Termiticidal |
Bark |
Camellia sinensis |
tea |
Anti-feedant, insectidical |
Leaves and fruit |
Carica papaya |
pawpaw |
Insecticidal |
Fruit, fresh leaves and roots |
Cassia siamea |
yellow cassia, kassof tree |
Repellent |
Used as a leaf mulch |
Cedrela odorata |
West Indian cedar |
Termiticidal |
Wood |
Chenopodium ambrosioides |
wormseed |
Anti-feedant, insecticidal, repellant |
Whole plant |
Cleistanthus collinus |
Repellent |
Bark | |
Commiphora africana |
Termiticidal |
Gum/resin | |
Consolida regalis |
blue cloud |
Termiticidal |
Seeds |
Diospyros ebenum |
ebony |
Anti-insect |
Roots |
Hardwickia mannii |
Termiticidal |
Stem/branches | |
Hyptis spicigera |
labiatae |
Repellent |
Aerial parts |
Juniperus virginiana |
eastern red cedar |
Anti-insect |
|
Leucaena leucocephala |
ipil ipil |
Repellent |
Used as a leaf mulch |
Melia azedarach |
chinaberry, persian lilac |
Anti-feedant, contact poison, repellant |
Bark, branches, leaves, fruit, oil |
Mesna ferrea |
Anti-insect |
||
Ocimum basilicum |
sweet basil |
Insecticidal, repellent |
Whole plant |
Ocimum canum |
wild basil |
Insecticidal, repellent |
Whole plant |
Ocimum urticifolium |
basil |
Water-based extracts | |
Pinus strobus |
Termiticidal |
Bark | |
Prosopis africana |
Anti-insect |
Roots | |
Quassia indica |
Termiticidal |
Leaves | |
Quercus prinus |
chestnut oak |
Termiticidal |
Bark |
Samadera indica |
Termiticidal |
Leaves | |
Santalum album |
sandalwood |
Anti-insect |
|
Sassafras albidium |
Termiticidal |
Bark | |
Semecarpus anacardium |
Anti-insect |
Seeds | |
Swartziamadagascariensis |
Repellent |
Fruit | |
Tagetes minuta |
Mexican marigold |
Water-based extracts | |
Tectona grandis |
teak |
Repellent |
Wood/pulp |
Reference list
‘Organic Termite Control’ (1994) P Forshaw. HDRA undergraduate report.
‘Natural Pest and Disease Control’ (undated) H Elwell and A Mass, published by the Natural Farming Network, PO Box 8515, Causeway, Harare, Zimbabwe.
‘Natural Pest and Disease Control’ (1996) Gaby Stoll, published by Magraf Verlag, PO Box 105 97985 Weikersheim, Germany
Related Articles
- How to Build the ARTI Compact Biogas Digestor
- How to Use Neem as a Natural Pesticide
- How to Control Termite without Chemicals
- How to Process Oilseed on a Small Scale
- How to Use Garlic as a Natural Pesticide
- How to Use Chillies as a Natural Pesticide
Notes
Contacts
Further information on termite control and on organic farming can be obtained from HDRA. Publications include booklets covering composting, green manures, weed control and the neem tree, as well as single information sheets about crop pests and diseases and their control, natural pesticides and green manures. Please write to:
HDRA - the organic organisation
Ryton Organic Gardens
COVENTRY CV8 3LG
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 24 7630 3517 Fax: +44 (0) 24 7663 9229
Website: http://www.hdra.org.uk
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