The cultivation of many crops in Africa is negatively affected by a number of constraints, the most important of which is the incidence of pests and diseases. In many areas of the world, the most preferred option in the management of pests is the application of synthetic chemical pesticides. Due to the negative effects of pesticides on humans and the environment as a whole, efforts are being made to find alternatives for pest management. Ethanolic extracts of the leaves and roots of Lantana camara were tested against the major pests of okra, Abelmoschus esculentus. The plant extracts were compared with a standard chemical insecticide, Mektin (a.i 18 g/L abamectin) in a randomly complete block design with four treatments and three replications. Parameters studied included the major pests of the plant and the damage caused, leaf area, plant height as well as yield of okra. Cotton aphids, Aphis gossypii, the tobacco whitefly Bemisia tabaci and the cotton flea beetle, Podagrica puncticollis were the major pests encountered on okra plants. Aphis gossypii and B. tabaci populations were significantly lower on the L. camara-sprayed plots compared with the control plots. Similarly, P. puncticollis numbers were significantly smaller on the L. camara-sprayed plots than the control plots.There were no significant differences between the treatments and the control for plant height, leaf area and yield. The significant reduction in pests numbers on the L. camara-sprayed plots indicates its potential as an alternative to chemical insecticides, thereby reducing the reliance on chemical insecticides in the management of insect pests.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.