Neem, Karanja, and Traditional Medicine-Pesticide Knowledge of Sagar

Sagar district farmers maintain deep knowledge of neem (Azadirachta indica) and karanja (Pongamia pinnata) for dual use as natural pesticide and medicine. Neem cake — the residue after oil extraction — is applied to soil as both fertiliser and nematicide, suppressing soil-borne pathogens. Neem leaf decoction is sprayed on crops as a contact insecticide. Neem oil is used medicinally for skin conditions, dental hygiene, and antifungal preparations. Karanja oil, from seeds of the evergreen Pongamia tree, is used for lamp oil, skin treatments, and as a bio-diesel feedstock. The Sagar district traditional medicine practitioners — Vaidya families — maintain dispensaries based primarily on these two trees supplemented by 40–50 other locally available species. Their formulations, passed through written manuscripts and oral tradition, have been systematically documented by Sagar University Botany department.