Palm Red Mite Management with Soursop Seed Plant Residue Extracts

Abstract

Raoiella indica Hirst, 1924 (Prostigmata: Tenuipalpidae), is one of the leading pest mites in palm and banana trees, however, there are few control methods available for this pest species. Therefore, this work aimed to evaluate the acaricidal effect of soursop seed extract (Annona muricata L.) on R. indica adults. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design using soursop seed extract with 7 replicates and 12 individuals of R. indica per replicate. 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 × 1.2 cm) and around the disc to maintain turgor and prevent mites from escaping. The application was performed using an airbrush, connected to a calibrated compressor with a constant pressure of 1.3 psi and 1 mL of solution per repeat plate. The acaricidal effect was evaluated 24, 48, and 72 hours after spraying. Mortality data were corrected and submitted to Probit analysis (p ≤ 0.05) using the statistical program R, with the LC50 and LC90 calculated for the extract. At the maximum concentration (15%), the soursop seed extract showed mortality of 70% of individuals of R. indica, and the LC50 was 6.58%. It was concluded that the soursop seed extract showed acaricidal potential on R. indica in the laboratory.