Effectiveness of local biopesticides in the control of Diamondback Moth (Plutella xylostella L.) in cabbage production in Zanzibar, Tanzania

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to determine the effectiveness of different types of local biopesticides to control diamondback moth (DBM) in cabbage production in Zanzibar. The experiment was conducted in horticulture farms at Zanzibar Agricultural Research Institute. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design, with 6 treatments and a control, each of which was replicated 3 times. The following plants were used as biopesticide which are garlic (T1), hot pepper (chilli) (T2), clove (T3), mixture of garlic and pepper (T4), mixture of garlic and clove (T5), synthetic insecticide (T6) and a control (T0). The parameters were evaluated by conducting initial data collection (before treatment) and final data collection (after treatment). The average number of leaves affected by DBM and yield in terms of average mass (kg) of cabbage were recorded. Results showed that T6 was significantly associated with a lowest average number of affected leaves and higher yield followed by T4 and T5. Overall, garlic-treated plots had recorded higher yield compared to the non-garlic treated plots. Therefore, garlic extract as local biopesticide can effectively repel DBM. This study recommends that garlic can be used as an alternative to using synthetic chemicals to control DBM in cabbage crop.