Extracts of plant residues from soursop peels in the management of palm red mite

Abstract

Raoiella indica Hirst, 1924 (Prostigmata: Tenuipalpidae), is one of the main pest mites of palm and banana trees, causing significant damage in producing regions. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the acaricidal effect of soursop peel extract (Annona muricata L.) on R. indica adults. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design using soursop peel extract, with 7 replications and 12 individuals of R. indica per replication. The experimental units consisted of discs of coconut palm leaves (4 cm in diameter), with cotton moistened at the bottom of the Petri dish (10.0 x 1.2 cm) and around the disc to maintain turgor and prevent mites from escaping. The application was carried out using an airbrush, connected to a calibrated compressor with a constant pressure of 1.3 psi and 1 mL of solution per plate. The acaricidal effect was evaluated 24, 48, and 72 hours after spraying. Mortality data were corrected and subsequently submitted to probit analysis (p≤0.05) using the statistical program R, with the LC50 and LC90 of the extract being calculated. The soursop peel extract at the maximum concentration used (15%) showed mortality of 80% of individuals of R. indica. The LC50 was 1.934%. It was concluded that extracts from soursop peel have acaricidal potential on R. indica in the laboratory.