Known in ancient India as a tree with many wondrous properties, the neem tree is slowly drawing the attention of the country's scientific and entrepreneurial community.

Though the importance of neem is well known it finds place on the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation's priority list efforts to collect neem germplasm are only now beginning to pick up at an international level.

Modern science now confirms what was well known in India since Vedic times neem oil is an effective birth control agent.

New varieties of rice that can be grown in flood hit areas are producing higher yields. Combined with other crops, they can give the farmer a better deal.

SPIC is on the brink of launching two neem-based insecticides. Godrej"s Nimin reportedly improves the nitrogen-use efficiency of urea. ITC, too, has found neem effective in checking the tobacco caterpillar moth and has in view the tremendous market in the

Pesticides 1. Wellgro, produced by India Tobacco Company, reportedly repels tobacco caterpillar, prevents the spread of tobacco mosaic virus and prevents nitrogen leaching. 2. Neemguard,

While growing up in Rajasthan, Deepak Bhatnagar often saw his parents using neem leaves to keep insects out of the wheat they stored in their home. He also saw how well the leaves worked against skin

A scientist in Nagpur, A S Khalatkar, has claimed to have developed a new variety of mustard - Hoora - that will yield oil cheaply. The improved variety is a low-input crop requiring little