Natural insecticides safe for human health and the environment: Evaluation in field conditions of extracts of Ovidia andina on Caliroa cerasi larvae

BADO S.; TARCAYA, V; CUFFRE, I.; CLEMENTE SV; BROUSSALIS AM

Congreso; 14th International Congress of Ethnopharmacology ISE 2014. Sociedad Latinoamericana de Fitoquímica SLF, Puerto Varas, Chile; 2014

Caliroa cerasi L. (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae), "babosita del peral" is the main pest of cherrytrees in Southern Patagonia, Argentina. Currently, their population levels decrease only by use ofsynthetic pesticides. At present, the search for insecticides is oriented to plant compounds that aresafe for human health and the environment With the aim to develop a less toxic insecticideformulation and given the promising results found in the laboratory [1-4J, the efficacy of adichloromethane extract of Ovidia andina (P. et E.) M. (Thymeleaceae), "pillo-pillo" [5J wasassessed on larvae of C. cerasi under field conditions. The assay was performed in a cherryorchard located in the northern Lower Valley of the Chubut River. Three control trees and threetrees treated with dichloromethane extract were compared. Before starting the experiments, a larvalcount was carried outh with removal of 50 leaves from each tree. Spraying was performed with theO.andina extract at a concentration of 7000 ppm (7 gIL). The vehicle (water, mineral oi! and Tween80) was applied on the control plants. Observations were made after 24 and 96 hours, colíecting 50leaves from each tree at each observaion time to count larvae. The average mortality after 24 hoursof spraying with the extract was 95% and 99% at 96 hours, whereas in the control was 0% at 24hours, and 2% at 96 hours (ANOVAand Tukey test, p::;;0.05). These findings are relevant to thedevelopment of a novel organic formulation intended to manage this pest