EFFECT OF SOME PLANT EXTRACTS ON CITRUS MEALY BUG PLANOCOCCUS CITRI (RISSO)

Abstract

Pulp of sour orange fruit; Citrus aurantium v. amara extracted in water and petroleum ether, leaves of lantana; Lantana salvifolia extracted in acetone and leaves of Herb Robert; Geranium robertianum extracted in water at different concentrations 3, 4 and 5% were tested under laboratory conditions against Citrus mealy bug Planococcus citri (Risso) (Pseudococcidae: Homoptera) which is one of the most wide spread insects infesting horticulture crops either inside or outside greenhouses. Data demonstrated that sour orange extracted in petroleum ether the highest reduction in the population of the different stages of the mealy bug being 97.01% after 8 days from treatment with the assayed materials at 5% concentration. While lantana extract in acetone, pulp of sour orange and leaves of Herb Robert extracted in water achieved intermediate reductions in bug population. Also, LT 50 values were determined for the different treatments and it ranged from 2.32 to 3.75 days for leaves of Herb Robert extracted in water and pulp of sour orange extracted in water, respectively.