Insecticidal Potential of mountain base Native Plant Extracts for the Management of major insect pest in Skardu Baltistan

Insecticidal Potential of mountain base Native Plant Extracts for the Management of major insect pest in Skardu Baltistan

Agro-climatic condition and soil of Skardu is suitable for all sorts of crops, vegetables, fruits and forest trees deciduous fruits like Apple, Apricot, citrus, pear, peach, plum and grape. Farmers grow vegetables (onion, cabbage, spinach, tomato, carrot and turnip) and field crops wheat and Maize on large scalePotato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is the fourth major food crop of the world and it is gaining status of cash crop in Gilgit Baltistan. White grub is most destructive insect pest
damaging potato tubers and causes economic loss of Gilgit-Baltistan. The study was
conducted with an aim to develop eco-friendly management of white grub. Fermented
extracts of four herbs Sophora alopecuroides, Artemisia sieversiana, Peganum harmalla and
Tagetes minuta were evaluated against white grub under invtro conditions for two consecutive
replication during 2021. The minimum per cent infestation, number of white
grubs per plot, yield loss and maximum tuber yield was recorded in plots treated with S.
alopecuroides fermented extract and Refree. The fermented extract of S. alopecuroides
significantly reduced percent infestation, number of white grub per plot and yield losses as
compared to the control plot, however efficacy of the fermented extract of A. sieversiana, P.
harmala and T. minuta was significantly low as compared to Refree. Our current lab study
indicated that the fermented extract of S. alopecuroides has potential to develop eco-friendly
approach for management of white grub and other major insects pest of Skardu.