Three green seaweed extracts and their fractions for ecofriendly management of pestiferous insect Spodoptera litura

Polyphagous pest Spodoptera litura poses a serious threat to important agriculture crops and their products. A green ecofriendly alternative to existing chemical pesticides, bio-fertilizers are preferred to protect the crop and increase their yield against pests. Hence, three common seaweed crude extracts (Caulerpa scalpelliformis, Caulerpa veravalensis, and Ulva lactuca) and chromatographic fractions of C. scalpelliformis [CS-1 (683-759) and CS-2 (1038-1130)] were screened against S. litura under different concentrations in castor leaves. Dose-dependent mortality was observed for crude extracts and their column chromatographic fractions. Conversely, fractions [CS-1 (683-759) and CS-2 (1038-1130)] recorded highest mortality at 1.0 ppm and lowest at 0.12 ppm. GC-MS analysis of C. scalpelliformis and C. veravalensis exhibited the highest peak of n-Hexadecanoic acid and 1,4-Bis(trimethylsilyl) benzene, respectively. The access proportion index suggested C. scalpelliformis was more active than other seaweeds. Henceforth, the results suggest that the above seaweed extracts may be developed as bio-alternative agrochemicals for pest control.

Automated summary

The study found that seaweed extracts can be used as bio-alternative agrochemicals for pest control, with Caulerpa scalpelliformis showing the highest activity and potential for development as an important resource.