Laboratory and Greenhouse Evaluation of <i>Melia volkensii</i> Extracts for Potency against African Sweet Potato Weevil, <i>Cylas puncticollis,</i> and Fall Armyworm, <i>Spodoptera frugiperda</i>
Victor Jaoko,
Clauvis Nji Tizi Taning,
Simon Backx,
Pierfrancesco Motti,
Jackson Mulatya,
Jan Vandenabeele,
Titus Magomere,
Florence Olubayo,
Sven Mangelinckx,
Stefaan P. O. Werbrouck,
Guy Smagghe
Affiliations
Victor Jaoko
Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
Clauvis Nji Tizi Taning
Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
Simon Backx
SynBioC, Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
Pierfrancesco Motti
SynBioC, Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
Jackson Mulatya
Kenya Forestry Research Institute, P.O. Box, Nairobi 20412-00200, Kenya
Jan Vandenabeele
Better Globe Forestry, P.O. Box, Nairobi 823-00606, Kenya
Titus Magomere
Department of Plant Science and Crop Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box, Nairobi 30197-00100, Kenya
Florence Olubayo
Department of Plant Science and Crop Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box, Nairobi 30197-00100, Kenya
Sven Mangelinckx
SynBioC, Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
Stefaan P. O. Werbrouck
Laboratory of Applied In Vitro Plant Biotechnology, Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Valentin Vaerwyckweg 1, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
Guy Smagghe
Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
The African sweet potato weevil, Cylas puncticollis, and fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, are insect pests of economic importance that have a negative impact on sweet potato and maize production, respectively. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the potential of Melia volkensii extracts to protect sweet potato and maize plants against damage by both insect pests. We evaluated extracts from the bark, leaves, pulp and nuts of Melia volkensii for antifeedant activity against C. puncticollis and S. exigua (used as a substitute for S. frugiperda), under laboratory conditions. Interestingly, extracts of all plant parts showed antifeedant activity. These results led us to investigate the effectiveness of nut and pulp extracts to protect sweet potato and maize crops in greenhouse conditions. Against C. puncticollis, the sweet potato plants treated with nut extracts showed the lowest tuber damage (18%) when compared to pulp extracts (30%), positive control (33%) and negative control (76%). Nut extracts, pulp extracts and positive control reduced maize leaf and whorl damage by S. frugiperda compared to the negative control. Altogether, this study highlights the potential of M. volkensii extracts and their application in integrated insect pest management
