DefinePK

Abstract

The study aimed to determine the population density of peach potato aphid ( Myzus persicae ) and two-spotted spider mite ( Tetranychus urticae ) on cabbage plants and to evaluate the efficacy of plant extracts in controlling these pests. GC-MS analysis of the ethanol and aqueous extracts of Withania somnifera confirmed the presence of a range of biologically active compounds, which may explain the biological effects observed in subsequent pest bioassays. The population density of both pests appeared on cabbage plants during the early growth stages, with the highest population density of M. persicae recorded in December and that of T. urticae in November. Following treatment with the ethanolic extract of W. somnifera at a 10% concentration, mortality of M. persicae and T. urticae reached 89.3% and 82.6%, respectively, after 24 h under laboratory conditions. In field experiments, the plant extracts also demonstrated effectiveness in pest management, with W. somnifera extract showing the greatest potency. The ethanolic extract of W. somnifera caused the highest mortality, reaching 81% for the green peach aphid and 72.2% for the two-spotted spider mite. The ethanol extract of S. elaeagnifolium exhibited moderate efficacy, with relative effectiveness values of 68.3% for M. persicae and 61.2% for T. urticae after seven days of treatment. The lowest effectiveness was observed with the aqueous extract of S. elaeagnifolium .