Biocidal activity of Melia azedarach (Meliaceae) leaf and seed extracts on Spodoptera frugiperda larvae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Abstract

The search for insecticidal plant compounds is one of the strategies for the control of species such as Spodoptera frigiperda, a polyphagous species considered a sporadic pest of important crops. The objective of this work was to evaluate the biocidal effect of Melia azedarach (Meliaceae) leaf and seed extracts on S. frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae, assuming that the higher the dose, the higher the percentage of larval mortality. The design used was completely randomized, with four (4) treatments and ten (10) replicates, applied to second instar larvae. The results showed that the T4 treatment dose (30%P/V) of leaf extract was the most effective, presenting 100% of dead larvae 6 minutes after the treatment was applied, compared to the control treatment (0%P/V). Similarly, the T4 treatment (30%P/V) of the seed extract obtained 100% mortality of larvae at 8 minutes of exposure, compared to the control treatment. However, M. azedarach leaf extract has a greater biocidal effect than seed extract on S. frugiperda larvae. In conclusion, M. azedarach can be incorporated into control programs for this pest.