Study of the Efficacy of Moringa Leaf Extract as an Insecticide against White Fly and Aphids Insects

Abstract

In this study, we demonstrate the effect of plant extracts on whitefly and aphid’s insects that are economically harmful to crops and plants in greenhouse. A laboratory experiment was carried out to study the effect of four concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 g/l) of the alcoholic extract of the Moringa plant on whitefly and aphid’s insects. The results showed that the concentration of 3 g/l was significantly superior to the other concentrations used in the experiment, achieving percentage mortality rates of 95% in the nymph’s stage, where the account of insects decreased from 100 live insects before spraying to 5 live insects only after 72 hours of treatment with this concentration. In addition, the percentage mortality rate at the adult stage reached 91%, in which the counts of live insects decreased from 100 live insects before spraying to 9 insects after spraying with this concentration, where the rates of increase in the mortality efficiency rates reached at a concentration of 3 g/l compared to the other concentrations and at the nymph stage (13.09, 35.71, 50.79%), respectively, while the increase rates were at the nymph stage of aphids (16.25, 34.78, 47.61%), respectively. Whereas, the concentration of 0.5 g/l was the least effective in average efficiency of the concentrations used in the experiment in controlling the target insect, where it achieved a lower value of mortality rate, recording remarkable decrease, which reached at the nymphs and adults stages of whitefly and aphids insects (63, 60, 63, 61%), respectively. The chemical examinations for the detection of the plant extract content from the active compounds showed that it contains tannins, glycosides, phenols, resins, carbohydrates, saponins, alkaloids and terpenes.