What's in a Neem - German is expert on Indian tree

Mumbai: Given that its favoured hangout is a dusty UP village and its official name is ‘azadirachta indica’ or ‘the free tree of India’, one would expect the world expert on neem to be a Dr. R.D. Shantaram or S. Vishwanathan. So, it comes as a bit of a surprise when the individual bearing the ‘most knowlwdgeable about neem in the world’ crowns turns out to be a hearty German by the name H. Schmutterer.

All it takes, however, is a brief chat to see that the septuagenarian deserves the title. Mr. Schmutterer has spent more than three decades tracking the neem and its cousins in Asia, Africa and South America. The laboratory he developed in the University of Giessen is one of the key centres of neem research, while the 1,000-page tome he has written on the versatile evergreen is a storehouse of scientific information. Indeed, Mr. Schmutterer is greatly responsible for the modern interest in neem-catapulting it from the realm of miracle cures and esoteric texts into the world of verifiable research and scientific publications.

In this interview, Mr. Schmutterer, who was in Mumbai to attend the World Neem Conference, talks about the many ways in which India and the world can benefit what is “perhaps the most useful tree in the world”.

How did you, a resident of Germany, encounter this native of hot and arid lands?

In 1959, when I was working as an agricultural research officer in Sudan, there was an outbreak of locusts. I saw swarms settling on the neem trees, but soon they flew away. Inspite of their voracious behaviour, the locusts didn’t feed on neem. After they departed, I noticed that while every other plant was completely defoliated, the neem’s were still green and unharmed. And, as an expert on tropical pests, I became curious.

Today, of course, we know that neem has an outstanding action against more than 500 species of insects. But the tree does more than just kill insects - its plays a part in public health, agriculture & much else.

How was the neem rediscovered in modern times?

Sometime in the 60’s, the Indian Agricultural Research Institute published what I believe was the first piece of modern research on this forgotten tree. It ground some neem seeds, mixed them with water and sprayed the mixture on crops to drive away insects. Unlike many synthetic pesticides, the neem was not toxic and didn’t pose any danger to the sheep and goats drinking water from nearby pools.

Around this time, the most important active ingredient of neem, called azadirachtin, was isolated by researchers in the UK, and we too started our work in Germany. In the beginning we rode the wave of green agriculture, because that was the time that people were releasing that synthetic pesticides are toxic and contaminate the soil.

We tested a number of plants in the early ’70s, but soon became obvious that neem was extraordinary. It had an outstanding action against harmful insects, but none against beneficial insects like the honeybee. In 95 per cent of the cases, neem does exactly what we want it to-and that is the amazing part.

Many ancient Indian texts mention the medicinal properties of neem. Are these now being tapped?

Indians, especially in rural areas, still use the tree as a village pharmacy. But the remedies need to be studied, developed and scientifically understood. If this is done, we will soon have effective drugs against malaria and many other illnesses.

I always get stomach trouble in Africa, so I carry a small amount of neem extract in alcohol. Whenever I feel something is wrong in my stomach, I take a few drops & in ten minutes the trouble is gone. Of course, Indians have known from the old days that neem is effective against bacteria and viruses in the stomach. I don’t understand why such simple cures are being ignored today.

There is another old method developed in India, which involves eating neem seeds and doubling the number regularly. It is supposed to cure chronic illnesses. A student of mine had serious migraine for years, and went to doctors but nobody had any cure. Then she started to eat neem seeds and after three or four weeks, the headaches vanished and have not recurred.


Have people in different parts of the world come up with innovative uses of neem?

Whenever I go, I ask people what they do with neem. In Madagascar, I asked some women who said, “We use it for skin disease, and for our hair, and, of course, it’s our anti - baby pill.” Farmers in Latin America treat their calves by feeding them neem seed extract with plastic bottles. It de-worms the animals completely and they say it works much better than the expensive medicines in the market. Similarly, in Central Sudan, watermelon crops were being destroyed by rats. So, as an experiment, the farmers crushed neem leaves, placed them near the seeds and succeeded in keeping the rats away.

Given its innumerable properties, why hasn’t India benefited commercially from neem?

Many western governments are nervous about exports from India because of impurities like fungii. The neem oil you buy from the market could have come from seeds lying in heaps in a village backyard, pressed from old machine and mixed with all sorts of toxic things. There is an urgent need for an Institute which checks neem products for toxicity, issues certificates and ensures standardization. Otherwise India will lose out. Another obstacle is the variation in the yields of azadirachtin. If researchers are able to double the yield of azadirachtin from neem trees, it will change the economy of neem products and make them more affordable and popular.

Why do you feel the neem hasn't got the fame and fortune it deserves?

In the three decades that I have spent popularizing the neem, I have encountered a lot of resistance. Some years ago, two Americans from the defence ministry published a paper declaring that not only was neem carcinogenic but that it caused genetic mutations. How had they arrived at these findings? By feeding numbers into the computer and getting these projections. It was easy to prove them wrong, of course. But what I have never understood is why so many people demonize this wonderful tree.

Source: Times of India 5th December 2002


This doctor strives to give Senegal a ‘bitter’ cure

‘Neem a tree for solving global problems.’ This simply entitled publication generated a lot of interest among those who attended the first International Neem Conference in 1993. But for Dr. D.D. Faye, it is a mission statement for his country.
Entomologist and founder of nonprofit organization in Senegal called the Africa Bound Corporation. Faye has been struggling the convince his people that the unassuming neem can empower them.

“I keep telling my people that they are sitting on a goldmine. There are over 10 million neem trees in Senegal just standing there, being wasted away. According to the 1991 National Research Council survey, Senegalese neem sample tripled the Azadirachtin content worldwide. But all this has little relevance because we have no factories or industries even remotely interested in neem. People are still suspicious of the bitter, nasty - smelling neem, “ says Dr. Faye.

“My hometown Kaolack is the capital of mosquitoes in Senegal. People there complained to me about the spread of malaria and asked me for a solution. I pointed to the neem tree under which we had all gathered. Another group of people complained about pests and termites in their hibiscus plants and once again, I did not have to look further than the neem. In fact, propagation of neem is a big part of our malaria control project. Simple usage of neem oil or even using neem products on mosquito nets, instead of harmful chemicals, is not only safer but so much cheaper. The only problem is that unlike the rest of the world, we do not have the means to convert these raw materials into something viable. In fact, my trip here aims to build strong links with the neem industry so that some of them will consider starting operations in Senegal,” adds Dr. Faye fervently. He believes that introducing neem-based contraceptives would be a surefire solution to his country’s population problem.

Meanwhile, the neem ambassador is trying to convince the political and administrative circles about the uses of neem. “In Florida, there are cosmetics and toothpastes that are neem based. When I showed these to officials in my country, they did not believe it was neem. I have been on a marathon tour of the country, asking people to respect neem as a natural treasure. After all, it is one of the few species that withstands and survives the desert winds that depletes the vegetation and life in Senegal".

Source: The Indian Express 28th November 2002