The present study investigated the efficiency of essential oils extracted from different aromatic and medicinal plant sources on Aceria guerreronis Keifer, one of the serious pests of coconut. The essential oils and the herbal extracts were prepared in two different formulations and were used both in laboratory and field conditions to assess the efficiency of the formulations against the coconut mite infestation. The field trial results showed that reduction in infestation intensity was found to vary between 73.44% and 44.50% at six different locations of trial farms with an average of 64.18% after four spells of treatment. The average number of live mites was higher in the third month old nuts both in the control as well as the treated nut samples. The laboratory experiments on the efficacy of botanical biocide showed that the time taken for dehydration and shriveling of body cells took only sixty seconds. The multilocational field trials revealed the overall efficiency of the biocide to significantly control the eriophyid mite in coconut crop in an ecofriendly and sustainable manner without adopting any chemical pesticide.
Abstract:The withdrawal of chemical pesticides opens up a new perspective to control pests through botanical extracts. The essential oils derived from various medicinal and aromatic plants proved to have antifungal, antibacterial and insecticidal properties. The present study is directed towards management of a dreaded pest of coconut i.e. eriophyid mite through exploitation of those properties of the plants. The efficacy of a botanical biocide formulated by using seven different aromatic and medicinal herbs against the infestation intensity of eriophyid mite was tested in the experiment at five different coconut farms in different coconut growing states of India.Four application of the formulated product resulted up to 72.17% damage reduction.
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