Aphid Cerosipha forbesi control using Piper macedoi Yunck essential oil in strawberry crop

Strawberry is a food rich in bioactive compounds with great antioxidant potential. However, due to the high incidence of pests that affect crop cultivation, phytosanitary management still lacks control methods for agroecological cultivation. Thus, the present research aimed to evaluate the chemical composition and the potential of the essential oil of the leaves of Piper macedoi in the control of Cerosipha forbesi in laboratory and semi-field conditions. The concentration of essential oil in the leaves of P. macedoi that showed the highest mortality was 2.0 ml/L of oil, with a mortality above 91% under laboratory conditions. A mortality rate of 80% for all concentrations tested was observed after 24 h in all conditions tested. Thus, using essential oil from the leaf of P. macedoi can be a highly viable strategy in managing the aphid C. forbesi since it showed high mortality rates with small doses of oil.

Automated summary

Strawberry, a food rich in bioactive compounds, has great antioxidant potential. However, the control methods for agroecological cultivation of strawberries are lacking due to the high incidence of pests. This research evaluated the chemical composition and potential of essential oil from Piper macedoi leaves in controlling Cerosipha forbesi, showing high mortality rates with small doses of oil under laboratory and semi-field conditions.