Battling the Cabbage Butterfly: A Comparative Analysis of Organic and Chemical Control Methods
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55627/agrivet.004.01.1313Keywords:
Biopesticide, Cabbage Butterfly, Chemical Insecticides, Garlic, NeemAbstract
The cabbage butterfly (Pieris brassicae) is a major lepidopteran pest of cruciferous vegetables, causing significant yield losses, especially during its larval stages. In light of increasing concerns about synthetic pesticide resistance, environmental hazards, and non-target effects, the current study was conducted to evaluate and compare the efficacy of selected botanical extracts and chemical insecticides against different larval instars of P. brassicae under controlled laboratory conditions. Three organic treatments neem (Azadirachta indica), garlic (Allium sativum), and cannabis (Cannabis sativa) extracts were prepared in aqueous form and tested at three concentrations (10%, 20%, and 30%). Two commonly used synthetic insecticides bifenthrin (10% EC) and lambda-cyhalothrin (2.5% EC) were evaluated at three dose levels: the Field Recommended Dose (FD), one-tenth (FD/10), and one-hundredth (FD/100) of FD. A leaf-dip bioassay method was used in which treated cabbage leaf discs were exposed to third, fourth, and fifth instar larvae of P. brassicae. The results revealed that both chemical insecticides demonstrated significantly higher mortality rates than the botanical extracts. At the field dose, lambda-cyhalothrin and bifenthrin caused over 80% mortality in all instars, with nearly 90% mortality in third instars. Among botanical extracts, neem exhibited the highest efficacy, particularly at 30% concentration, causing up to 76.6% mortality in third instar larvae. Garlic showed moderate efficacy, while cannabis extract was the least effective, especially against older instars. Larval susceptibility was inversely related to developmental stage, with third instars being significantly more vulnerable than fourth and fifth instars across all treatments. These findings suggest that neem extract has strong potential as a biopesticide and could be effectively integrated into pest management strategies to reduce reliance on chemical insecticides. The study highlights the importance of early intervention and supports the incorporation of botanical extracts into sustainable and environmentally responsible integrated pest management (IPM) programs for cruciferous crops.
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Copyright (c) 2022 Muhammad Imran, Tahira Pechuho, Reshma Sahito, Sindhoo Taj Lashari, Lubna Zafar, Raees Ahmed
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