Efficiency of botanical pesticides against some pests infesting hydroponic cucumber, cultivated under greenhouse conditions

Abstract

Greenhouse cultivation of vegetables, especially cucumber in hydroponic/soilless culture, has been developed in different parts of the world. There is an expanding interest in hydroponics because they can produce fresh food closer to urban areas. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of the biopesticides: matrine (extract from Sophora flavescens), spintoram (derived from soil bacterium Saccharopolyspora spinosa), azadirachtin (neem extract), and Annona squamosa (custard apple extract) against the cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii Glov.) and the twospotted spider mite, (Tetranychus urticae Koch.). A drip-irrigation hydroponics system (DIHS) was designed and used for this study. Fourteen-day-old seedlings of cucumber plants were shifted in DIHS, and nutrient requirements were maintained during the period of experiment. Randomized complete block design (RCBD) was used for this experiment with 3 replicates and with 5 treatments. Data were collected 24 h pre-treatment and 1, 3, 7, and 14 days post-treatment. Results revealed that the custard apple extract showed the highest efficiency (80 and 76%) reduction against the aphid and the mite, respectively, followed by matrine (legend) and neem extract (73%), and spintoram (radiant) (69%) in case of the aphid, while it was followed by matrine (legend) (75%), spintoram (radiant), (66%), and neem extract (56%) in the case of the mite.

Use of neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) as a biopesticide in agriculture: A review

“…Cucumber Neem extract Two spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch), Aphis gossypii Glov. (Saleem et al, 2019) 9. Ginger Neem leaf powder @ 500 g m -2…”

The Effect of Bintaro (Cerbera manghas) Leaf Extract on Transmission of Aphids (Homoptera) in Chili (Capsicum annuum) Plants

“…According to the conclusion of the study [13] the application of 75 ml of citronella extract added with 100 ml of water can reduce the population of brown aphid on chili almost 100%.The most effective botanical pesticide of soursop extract reduced aphids and mite populations by 80% and 76%. Neem extract decreased aphid population by 73%, and mite population decreased by 56% [14].Plant extracts are more effective for whitefly on egg and nymphs (pre-adult) stadia [15].…”

Selection and characterization of thermotolerant Beauveria bassiana isolates and with insecticidal activity against the cotton‐melon aphid Aphis gossypii (Glover) (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

“…Furthermore, overuse of these insecticides has had serious undesirable effects on the environment and human health, 11–14 while also leaving residues in fruits 15,16 that reduce market value and may lead to rejection in export markets 17 . As an alternative to chemical control, there is a resurgence of interest in the use of resistant cultivars, parasitoids, new greenhouse covers, vermicompost and bioinsecticides in an integrated pest management (IPM) approach 18–24 . Among these alternative methods, entomopathogenic fungi in particular are promising bioinsecticide candidates for aphid control 25,26 …”

“…17 As an alternative to chemical control, there is a resurgence of interest in the use of resistant cultivars, parasitoids, new greenhouse covers, vermicompost and bioinsecticides in an integrated pest management (IPM) approach. [18][19][20][21][22][23][24] Among these alternative methods, entomopathogenic fungi in particular are promising bioinsecticide candidates for aphid control. 25,26 A large number of entomopathogenic fungi contribute to the natural regulation of aphid populations in the field.…”