Collodial Chitin Synthesised from Marine Waste as Novel Ecofriendly Antifeedant for the Fall Army Worm Spodoptera frugiperda (J E Smith)

Abstract

Colloidal chitin is a natural compound shown to have antifeedant activity against insects. In this study, the antifeedant activity of colloidal chitin was investigated against the first instar larva of Spodoptera frugiperda (J E Smith). The results showed that colloidal chitin had antifeedant activity, with the highest activity observed at 7% concentration. The antifeedant effect was enhanced with increase in concentration and also with increase in time after treatment. Specifically, colloidal chitin 7% showed 90.43% antifeedant effect after 72 hr of treatment, followed by 87.43 and 81.76% after 48 hr and 24 hr of treatment, respectively. The results suggest that colloidal chitin could be a potential candidate for use as an insect repellent or pesticide.