Ethnobotanical survey of plants used by rural people in the Eastern Cape to control field arthropod pests of maize

Abstract

native South African woody plants. These are the myrtle rust pathogen, Puccinia psidii, and the cycad aulacaspis scale (CAS), Aulacaspis yasamutsii. Both these organisms most likely entered the country on non-native plants, possibly linked to the nursery trade. Despite quarantine efforts and other plant protection strategies, these and other pests continue to enter the country. While this is not unexpected due to the magnitude of the task, it is of great concern that there is almost no action post entry to deal with non-native pests and pathogens. Without the active involvement of all plant and conservation specialists, enthusiasts, scientists and the government, South Africa faces potentially devastating loss of iconic native and other woody plants. Indeed we might expect the transformation of entire ecosystems as has occurred elsewhere in the world.

Activity of Methanolic and Hydrolyzed Methanolic Extracts of Ricinus communis (Euphorbiaceae) and Kaempferol against Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

“…For these reasons, a decrease in crop production can mean a problem for food security worldwide, with diseases and pests being the main agents responsible for this impact [4,5]. Among the pests that affect this crop, such as birds, rodents, and arthropods, insects stand out, of which the genus Spodoptera includes several species that can seriously affect the crop (e.g., Spodoptera exigua, Spodoptera littoralis, and S. frugiperda) due to the fact that their infestations can cause total losses for the plantations [6,7]. S. frugiperda is an insect of the order Lepidoptera and a member of the Noctuidae family, which is native to America [8]; however, its presence has also been reported in Africa, Asia, Europe [9], and, recently, in Oceania [10].…”