Evaluation and screening of the biopesticidal properties of Eucalyptus deglupta Blume (bagras), Chromolaena odorata (L.) R.M. King and H. Rob. (hagonoy) and Premna odorata blanco (alagaw) against Cardava banana mealybugs

• Main Author: Mertola, Allyson Mariel C.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2016
• Subjects: Biology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/3010
• Institution: De La Salle University

The crude water extracts from the leaves of Eucalyptus deglupta Blume (Bagras), Chromolaena odorata (L.) R.M. King and H. Rob. (Hagonoy) and Premna odorata Blanco (Alagaw) were evaluated for their potential biopesticidal properties against an unidentified species of Cardava banana mealybugs. Baygon was used as positive control and distilled water served as negative control. Immersion Time (IT), or the amount of time the leaves were soaked in distilled water, and Soaking Time (ST), or the amount of time the bananas were immersed in the treatment, were both varied in the study. All trials were done in triplicates. In the first set of experiments, the potential biopesticidal property of E. deglupta was evaluated using 18 and 22 hr for ST and 0.5 and 1.0 min for IT. In the second set of experiments, C. odorata and P. odorata were also assessed using an ST of 22 hr and and an IT of 2.0 min. The results showed that under the conditions used, the crude water extracts from all three plants did not exhibit significant biopesticidal effect against the Cardava mealybugs. Mealybug mortality remained low 24 hr after treatment. It is possible that the polar water may not be the right solvent or the ST and IT used may not optimal as well. The potential antifungal property of E. deglupta, however, is reported here. It was observed that the bananas treated with the extract were not infested with fungal growth. This could be an interesting preliminary step in screening for a biofungicide for bananas and other crops.