Abstract
Okra is one of the most important vegetables in terms of consumption and production in Nigeria. However, a number of insects are known to attack both the leaves and fruits. In light of recent increased interest in developing plant based secondary chemistry into products suitable for integrated pest management, the objective of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of Momordica charantia and Mitrocarpus villosus crude extracts against the flea beetles on V 35 okra variety under field conditions. The field experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) replicated three times. The plant extracts were obtained by pounding 1 kg of plant materials using mortar and pestle and soaked overnight in 3 lts of cold water. Synthetic insecticide (Lambda cyhalothrin) was used as check to monitor the effectiveness of the plant extracts. All treatment was applied from crop establishment till harvest. Result obtained showed that at 50 days after planting (DAP) all the treatments significantly (P<0.05) suppressed flea beetle infestation. Fresh fruit (pods) weights obtained from plot sprayed with plant extract were not significantly different from synthetic insecticide treated plots. While pod density per plant in the plots treated with M. villosus and M. charantia leaves extract in the study was significantly (P<0.05) different from the insecticide (Lambda cyhalothrin) treated plots, the control treatment produced highest pod density (23.50 pods/plant) followed by M. villosus (20.33 pods/plant) and M. charantia (19.20 pods/plant). It is evident from the study that crude extracts of M. villosus and M. charantia could be used as plant based biopesticides as alternatives to synthetic insecticides to manage flea beetle on okra. They have proven to be effective and could be exploited and used by small to medium scale okra farmers.
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