Effect of Mammea americana Aqueous Extract on the Control of the Coffee Red Spider Mite

Abstract

The coffee red spider mite, Oligonychus ilicis, stands out as one of the main pests of Conilon coffee. The use of synthetic chemical control has led to an increase in the population of this mite and a reduction in its natural enemies. Aiming to find viable alternatives, this study aimed to evaluate the acaricidal potential of “abricó” peel extract, Mammea americana, in the management of O. ilicis. Each treatment consisted of 7 repetitions, with 10 individuals per repetition. They were placed in Petri dishes (10.0 x 1.2 cm), containing coffee leaf disks (4 cm diameter) inside, and moistened cotton at the bottom of the dish and around the disks. The peels of M. americana were dried, crushed, and diluted in aqueous solution to obtain extracts at concentrations of 2; 2.57; 3.30; 4.24; 5.45; and 7 %. The application was done by spraying, using an Alfa 2 model airbrush connected to a compressor calibrated with a constant pressure of 1.3 psi. 1 mL of solution of each concentration was applied for each repetition. Distilled water and the surfactant Tween® 80 (0.05 % v/v) were used as control treatments. The acaricidal effect was evaluated 24, 48, and 72 hours after spraying, and the lethal concentrations LC50 and LC90 were calculated. The results of the toxicity tests indicated an increase in the mortality of O. ilicis with the increase in the concentrations of aqueous extracts of M. americana, resulting in 100 % mortality. The LC90 was estimated at 3.83 %. In the chemical analysis of the M. americana extract, the presence of phenolic acids, tannins, and flavonoids was observed at concentrations of 39.150, 40.783, and 0.0349 mg-1, respectively. We conclude that the aqueous extract of M. americana peels demonstrated acaricidal potential in a controlled environment for the coffee red spider mite.