International Journal of Agriculture, Environment and Biotechnology
  • Year: 2016
  • Volume: 9
  • Issue: 3

Effect of Medicinal Plant Extracts on Growth and Development of Tobacco Caterpillar, Spodoptera litura (Fabricius)

1Depatrment of Entomology, College of Agriculture, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar-263145 (Uttarakhand) India

2Department of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221005, India

*Corresponding authers: deepika40865@gmail.com

Online published on 1 July, 2016.

Abstract

The present investigation was undertaken with the objective to evaluate the potential of different medicinal plants to explore their effect on growth and development of S. litura. Five medicinal plants species viz., Tulsi, O. sanctum; Tejpatra, C. tamala; Dalchini, C. zeylanicum; Eucalyptus, E. citriodora; Karanj, P. pinnata were tested at the conc. of 15 mg of acetone powder/ml of water. Preference index calculations at 15 mg/ml indicated that, C. tamala, C. zeylanicum and P. pinnata extracts exhibited ‘extreme antifeedant’ reaction while O. sanctum and E. citrodora extracts exhibited ‘strong antifeedant’ reaction. The acetone powder of O. sanctum at this concentration had no significant impact on the larval weight however C. tamala, C. zeylanicum, E. citrodora and P. pinnata could significantly reduce the weight gain in the larvae of S.litura. All the plant extracts caused a significant reduction in pupal weight over control. O.sanctum (15 mg/ml) could favour growth and development parameters of S.litura non significantly over control whereas other plant extracts C. tamala, C. zeylanicum, E. citriodora and P. pinnata proved detrimental to the larvae showing lethal effects at later developmental stages. Maximum larval mortality, lowest pupation and lowest adult emergence were observed in P. Pinnata

Active compounds isolated from different medicinal plants will be useful for controlling economically important insect pest

Effect of plant extracts on growth and development of Spodoptera litura (Fabricius)

Keywords

Medicinal plant, plant extract, spodoptera litura (Fabricius)