Efficacy of several insecticides and plant extracts against Ostrinia nubilalis Hübner in sweet pepper
2025
Franeta, Filip | Milovac, Željko | Medić-Pap, Slađana | Danojević, Dario
Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is a globally important crop, often affected by the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis Hübner, ECB), a significant pest causing substantial yield losses. Chemical insecticides, such as chlorantraniliprole and indoxacarb, are commonly used to control this pest; however, their environmental and health risks and potential for resistance development highlight the need for alternative pest management strategies. Biological control methods offer promising alternatives, including natural enemies and plant-derived compounds. This study evaluated the efficacy of neem oil, garlic extract, and chili pepper extracts against ECB larvae on pepper plants, comparing them to the chemical insecticides indoxacarb and chlorantraniliprole. Results from a two-year field experiment indicated that chlorantraniliprole exhibited the highest efficacy in reducing pepper fruit damage and larval survival, with the lowest damage severity and the lowest number of larvae per fruit. In the first year, neem oil and garlic extract showed promising results, effectively reducing fruit damage and performing comparably to indoxacarb. However, in the second year, only chlorantraniliprole showed consistent efficacy, likely due to unfavorable weather conditions that reduced the persistence of other treatments. Compared to the control, plant extracts showed higher efficacy in the first year of the trial, while indoxacarb was equally effective as the plant extracts. These findings suggest that plant-derived products like neem oil and garlic extract may be viable alternatives to chemical insecticides; however, further investigation is needed to optimize their application and efficacy in pest control.
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