Potential Uses of Turmeric (Curcuma Longa) Products As Alternative Means of Pest Management in Crop Production (Report‪)‬

Introduction Turmeric is one of most essential spices all over the world with a long and distinguished human use particularly in the Eastern civilization (Ravindran, 2007). It is a deep yellow-to-orange powder that comes from the underground stems of the tropical perennial herb Curcuma longa of the family Zingiberaceae. This spice with the subtle flavor is obtained from the dried and grounded rhizomes of the plant. The rhizomes are yellowish to orange tuberous juicy stems that are formed below the ground at the base of the plant consisting of the mother rhizomes with the primary, secondary, and even tertiary fingers. Apart from being a major ingredient in culinary, turmeric powder is used as food-colouring agent and also as natural dye (FAO, 1995). Just few drops of turmeric juice from the rhizomes can create permanent stain on clothes. The origin of the plant is not certain, but it is thought to be originated from south eastern Asia, most probably from India. The plant is cultivated in all parts of India (Kapoor, 2000). India produces most of the world supply (Leung and Foster, 1996), but turmeric is cultivated also in southern China, Taiwan, Japan, Burma, and Indonesia (Yen, 1992) as well as throughout the African continent (Iwu, 1993). The commercially available material (i.e. turmeric powder) in Europe is obtained mainly from India and somewhat from other south eastern Asian countries (Murugananthi et al., 2008). Turmeric powder has a peppery bitter flavor and a mild fragrance slightly reminiscent of orange and ginger. While turmeric powder is best known as one of the main ingredients used to make the curry spice, it also gives ballpark mustard its bright yellow color. Apart from its culinary uses, turmeric has been used widely in the traditional medicine in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh because of its several beneficial properties (Chattopadhyay et al., 2004). For traditional Ayurvedics, turmeric plant was an excellent natural antiseptic, disinfectant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic, while at the same time the plant has been often used to aid digestion, to improve intestinal flora, and to treat skin irritations. Also, in South Asia it has been used as a readily available antiseptic for cuts, burns, and bruises. However, several other beneficial properties are reported in folk medicine. Although there is plenty of information about the use of turmeric powder as a spice in culinary and apart from its multiple medicinal uses, the plant is credited with interesting pesticidal properties against insects and fungi of agricultural significance, including repellent properties against some noxious mosquito species. However, relatively less information is known regarding its potential use as a pest control agent in crop production. Thus, the aim of this paper was to provide a focus on the pesticidal properties of turmeric and its potential use in crop production as a pest control agent.