Pesticidal evaluation of teak and almond ethanol leaf extracts against two insect pests of sweet potato (Ipomea batatas L.)
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Date
2022
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Publisher
Tropical Agriculture
Abstract
The cultivation of sweet potatoes is constrained by insect pests. This had led to the use of synthetic insecticides which are
unsafe for humans and the environment. Although various studies have investigated the single application of plant material
to control pests, this study employed the combination of two botanicals to suppress them. The aim was to evaluate the
pesticidal effectiveness of teak and almond ethanol leaf extracts against Phyllotreta cruciferae and Cylas puncticollisinfesting
sweet potato. The experiment was arranged in a randomised block design with three replications. The various treatments
employed were single applications of almond (AL) and teak leaf (TL) extracts at 15% and 25% concentrations; mixed
application of AL and TL extracts at AL15% + TL15%, AL15% + TL25%, AL25% + TL15% and, AL25% + ATL25%
respectively, cypermethrin (0.15%) and a control. Data were collected on the number of the insect pests after treatments,
sweet potato yield, and phytochemical screening of the botanicals. Analysis of variance indicated that the combination of
AL and TL at 25% each significantly (P ≤ 0.05) lowered the population of insect pests to a level comparable to cypermethrin
and lower than the single applications of the botanicals. There was a significant increase in yield on plots treated with AL
+ TL at 25% concentration each. Phytochemical analysis indicated the presence of some bioactive compounds in the
botanicals. The combination of different botanicals may be a plausible sustainable alternative to synthetic pesticides in pest
management
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Keywords
Sweet potato, synthetic chemicals, botanicals, Phyllotreta cruciferae, Cylas puncticollis, plant extracts