Valorization of Three Plant Species of Arid Areas in Biological Control of the Desert Locust Schistocerca gregaria. S. Messgo-Moumene, D. Merzouk, Z. Houmani, and K. Moumene. (Algeria)

• Main Authors: Saïda Messgo-Moumene, Djamel -Eddine Merzouk, Zahia Houmani, Khaled Moumene
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Institution of the Agricultural Research and Higher Education 2015-12-01
• Series: Tunisian Journal of Plant Protection
• Subjects: Acridicide potential; aqueous extracts; Calotropis procera; ethanol extracts; Schistocerca gregaria; Schouwia purpurea; Zizyphus lotus
• Online Access: http://www.tjpp.tn/SiteWeb/PreviousIssues/TJPP10-2/3Moumene.pdf

The present work aims to evaluate the in vitro biocide effect of aqueous and ethanol extracts of plants collected from arid Algerian Sahara i.e. Calotropis procera, Schouwia purpurea, and Zizyphus lotus on the fifth larval instar (L5) of Schistocerca gregaria. These extracts obtained by decoction and solvent were tested respectively crude for the first one and at concentrations of 12.5% and 50% for the second one by contact and by ingestion. Significant mortality was recorded the fifth day after treatments, using ethanol at 50% by ingestion (52.5%) and crude aqueous C. procera extracts (45%) when applied by contact and ingestion and with S. purpurea ethanol extracts at 50% when used by contact (47%). Morphological changes and molting inhibition were detected following treatment by contact and ingestion while antifeeding effects and structural changes of L5 larvae mesenteron were observed for ingestion mode. In contrast, negligible mortality rates, similar to those of the untreated control and no changes affecting the behavior or L5 larval mesenteron structure were recorded using ethanol and aqueous extracts from Z. lotus according to the two application modes. Thus, the ethanol extract of C. Procera exhibited in vitro acridicide potential toward S. gregaria L5 larvae. It would be interesting to test this extract under semi-natural and natural environments and to identify the active ingredients responsible for the biocontrol of desert locusts.