Efficacy of different plant extracts against potato tuber moth, Phthorimaea operculella

Abstract

The efficacy of three different aqueous plant extracts, lantana (Lantana camara), black turmeric (Curcuma caesia) and lemongrass (Cymbopogon spp.) was evaluated under laboratory conditions. Three different concentrations; 5 %, 10 % and 15 % of the plant extracts were used for the bioassay. Potato and egg dipping methods were employed for studying the various biological parameters of potato tuber moth. The results of potato dipping method revealed that black turmeric at the highest concentration (15 %) was more effective than lemongrass and lantana against Phthorimaea operculella where larval mortality was 92.96 % with 3.33 % pupation and 3.33 % adult emergence. The damage index of tubers was 1.11 in 15 % black turmeric treated tubers. Whereas, in egg dipping, black turmeric extracts (15 %) resulted in 5 % egg hatching and there was no adult emergence. Among all the three botanical extracts, black turmeric was found to be very effective against P. operculella both in potato and egg dipping methods.