Insecticidal Activity of Aqueous Extracts of Plant Origin on Mahanarva spectabilis (Distant, 1909) (Hemiptera: Cercopidae)

The spittlebug Mahanarva spectabilis (Distant, 1909) is considered the main and most limiting pest of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.), and has caused economic losses to Brazilian farmers. In this study, we evaluated the insecticidal effects of aqueous extracts of garlic, rue, cinnamon,...

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Published inAgronomy (Basel) Vol. 12; no. 4; p. 947
Main Authors Nascimento, Vinícius Ferraz, Auad, Alexander Machado, de Resende, Tiago Teixeira, Visconde, Amanda Jdenaina Mendoza, Dias, Marcelle Leandro
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.04.2022
Subjects
Agriculture
agroecology
botanical insecticides
Cinnamon
Dairy cattle
Economic impact
Elephant grass
Eucalyptus
extraction methods
Farmers
Garlic
Insecticides
Mahanarva spectabilis
mortality
Oils & fats
Pennisetum purpureum
Pest control
plant active ingredients
Plant extracts
spittlebug
Tobacco
Ultrasonic testing
VOCs
Volatile organic compounds
Brazil
Germany
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Summary:The spittlebug Mahanarva spectabilis (Distant, 1909) is considered the main and most limiting pest of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.), and has caused economic losses to Brazilian farmers. In this study, we evaluated the insecticidal effects of aqueous extracts of garlic, rue, cinnamon, lemongrass, clove, star anise, eucalyptus, tobacco, and thyme on M. spectabilis nymphs. The results indicated that the tobacco extract was the most effective among all extracts, as it reached a mortality of 76%. The next most effective was star anise extract and cinnamon extract was the least effective. In the second stage of tests, we evaluated the insecticidal potential of five concentrations of tobacco extract. The values of LD50 and LD90 calculated for aqueous tobacco extract were, respectively, 11.5% and 33.3% 24 h after application, and 9.2% and 29.5% 48 h after application. We also evaluated different methods of extraction, through comparative tests, and the methods of infusion and decoction proved to be equivalent to those of the method of extraction by ultrasound. We conclude that among the nine aqueous plant extracts tested, tobacco extract was the only one recommended against M. spectabilis, as it showed insecticidal activity, with better results at a concentration of 25%, and with extraction by infusion and decoction.
ISSN:2073-4395
2073-4395
DOI:10.3390/agronomy12040947