AZIDIRACHTA INDICA AND ITS POTENTIAL FOR THE PRESERVATION OF BAMBUSA VULGARIS IN GHANA

Bamboo is a renewable natural resource which is woody, precious, physically powerful and exceptionally fast-growing grass which plays important role in the world’s economy; however in Ghana, most bamboo industries use chemical preservatives which are expensive and poisonous product for the preservation of bamboo which also have rippling effects on the users of bamboo products and the environment as whole. The study used the descriptive and experimental research methodologies with interview and observations as data collection instruments to gather data from respondents. Stratified Random sampling technique was employed to sub-divide the population into smaller homogeneous group so as to get more exact representation. The study discovered azadirachtin in the neem is the plants main agent for battling insects. It appears to cause about 90% effectiveness in dealing with most pests. The azidarachtin does not kill insect but it repels and disrupts their growth and reproduction. Moreover, it was found that neem leave extracts, as a preservative, is more suitable for the preservation of domestic products such as chopsticks, ladles, chopping boards and fruit trays. It is recommended that, a more environmentally friendly chemicals such as the azadirachtin must be used in the preservation of bamboo.