Comparative Toxicity of Phyto-Extracts of Indigenous Flora of Soone Valley against some Insect Pests of Agricultural and Urban Importance
Comparative Toxicity of Phyto-Extracts of Indigenous Flora of Soone Valley against some Insect Pests of Agricultural and Urban Importance
Muhammad Zeeshan Majeed1*, Muhammad Afzal1,Muhammad Asam Riaz1,Kanwer Shahzad Ahmed1, Muhammad Luqman2, Mehar Zubair Shehzad1, Muhammad Bilal Tayyab1, Mujahid Tanvir1 and Saadia Wahid1
ABSTRACT
This laboratory study encompasses comparative evaluation of insecticidal potential of indigenous ethnomedicinal flora of Soone Valley and surrounding Salt Range of Pakistan. Acetone extracts (10%) of forty plant species were evaluated against Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri), armyworm (Spodoptera litura), house mosquito (Culex quinquefasciatus) and subterranean termite (Odontotermes obesus) using twig-dip, leaf-dip, aqueous exposure and filter paper-dip bioassay methods, respectively. Results revealed that the extracts of Mentha longifolia, Sonchus asper and Nerium indicum were the most toxic to D. citri exhibiting 90% mortality. The extracts of Dodonaea viscosa and Olea ferruginea caused highest mortality of S. litura (i.e. 70 and 58%, respectively). Maximum mortality of C. quinquefasciatus larvae was observed by Maerua arenaria (87%), N. indicum (84%) and Withania coagulans (83%) extracts. While, the most toxic plant extracts against O. obesus termites were Periploca aphylla, Rhamnus spp. and Buxus papillosa causing 89, 62 and 52% mortality, respectively. These findings corroborate the effectiveness of indigenous plant extracts as safe and environment friendly alternates to hazardous synthetic insecticides and suggest the incorporation of these natural compounds in the pest management programs against agricultural and urban insect pests.
Novelty Statement | This study encompasses a first extensive evaluation of ethnomedicinal flora of Soone Valley and surrounding Salt Range for their toxicity potential against four major insect pests of economic importance. Results of this study demonstrate the relative insecticidal potential of indigenous plant extracts as biorational alternates to toxic synthetic insecticides and recommend the incorporation of these phyto-chemicals in the future insect pest management programs.
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December 2020
Vol. 35, Iss. 2, pp. 167-268
