Controlling Fruit Fly in Bitter Gourd Using Sesame Leaf Extract | InformativeBD

Jonathan S. Balog, Lucila V. Rocha, Artemio A. Martin Jr., Raphy A. Sugue, and Archival B. Sabado, from the different institute of Philippines. wrote a Reseach Article about, Controlling Fruit Fly in Bitter Gourd Using Sesame Leaf Extract. Entitled, Control of fruit fly (Batrocera cucurbitae S.) with sesame leaf ethanolic extract in bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.).This research paper published by the International Journal of Agronomy and Agricultural Research (IJAAR). an open access scholarly research journal on Agronomy . under the affiliation of the International Network For Natural Sciences| INNSpub. an open access multidisciplinary research journal publisher.

Abstract

The increasing demand for eco-friendly agricultural practices has spurred interest in the development of botanical pesticides. The study aimed to investigate the effects of sesame leaf extract (ethanolic) to control insect pests of bitter gourd, Momordica charantia L. specifically fruit fly, Batrocera cucurbitae S. and to check its effect on the agronomics of the test crop. The study was conducted at Isabela State University – Cabagan campus for dry season C.Y. 2023 only. The treatments involved one negative control, one positive control (using commercial synthetic insecticide), pure sesame leaf extract and four treatments with varying concentration of sesame leaf ethanolic extract. Growth parameters (plant length), pest infestation rates, and yield components (number of fruits and average fruit weight) were measured. Results of the statistical analysis using Statistical Tool for Agricultural Research (STAR) software under Two-Factorial Randomized Complete Block Design revealed certain results. Hybrid variety consistently outclassed open pollinated variety on all agronomic parameters. The application of commercially available synthetic insecticide (T2) had recorded highest numbers in almost all parameters while plots applied with pure sesame leaf extract (T3) and sesame leaf ethanolic extract (T4-T7) also logged higher numbers compared to the untreated plants (T1) suggesting that the treatments employed had positive results. Economically, the use of 105ml/l sesame leaf ethanolic extract can be used hand-in-hand with commercial pesticide for better pest control especially fruit fly in bitter gourd. These results support the integration of botanical pesticides into sustainable agriculture and provide foundation for further explorations into naturally derived crop protection strategies.

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Introduction

The vegetable Momordica charantia L., Cucurbitaceae, is known variously as bitter gourd, balsam pear, bitter melon, bitter cucumber, and African cucumber Bitter gourd (Behera et al., 2010) The genus Momordica is a native of the Paleotropics and comprises about 60 species. Bitter gourd grows in tropical and subtropical areas, including parts of East Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and South America, where it is used not only as a food but also as a medicine. The plant is monoecious, annual climber with long-stalked leaves and yellow, solitary male and female flowers borne on the leaf axils. The warty and oblong or elliptical-shaped fruit is botanically a ‘pepo.’ The plant grows well in a variety of soils and begins flowering about one month after planting (Asna et al., 2020). It has been part of the Filipino diet since time immemorial. All succulent parts of the plant have been consumed as viand by Filipino households to wit it has been shown to have essential nutrients that is beneficial to humans. Due to the medicinal properties of the plant, some companies have also made herbal supplements out of this crop. 

In Isabela, the major producers of bitter gourd are the municipalities of Roxas, Aurora, Mallig, Reina Mercedes, and the Cauayan city according to the Department of Agriculture. 

Though according to the report of Philippine Statistics Authority, the regionwide production data states that the production volume of bitter gourd declines by 14% in 2020.

Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) is a commercially and nutritionally important market vegetable in Asia cultivated mainly by smallholder farmers (Dhillon et al., 2018). 

Households generally purchase vegetables three times a week and predominantly from the wet market. While most households consider price as their primary criteria for purchase, quality in use is considered important. Wives continue to play a major role in the decision to purchase, cook and serve vegetables. Stakeholders in the vegetable supply chain, including smallholder farmers can focus their strategies to develop a strong domestic market for vegetables through increased consumption, and better-quality management systems to defend their products against the threat of imports (Concepcion, 2005).

Insect pests are a major constraint for increasing the production and productivity of this Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.). Bitter gourds are attacked by several insect pests, among them the fruit fly is one of the most destructive insect-pests (Panday et al., 2008). Melon fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae) are economically important pests of the cucurbits and are geographically distributed throughout the tropics and subtropics of the world (Chinajariyawong et al., 2003), especially in most countries of South East Asia (Allwood et al., 1999). The extent of losses varies between 30 and 100% depending on the cucurbit species and the season (Pareek and Kavadia, 1995; Kapoor, 1993; Panday et al., 2009). The melon fly has been observed on 81 host plants, with watermelon being a highly-preferred host, and has been a major limiting factor in obtaining good-quality fruits and high yield (Nath and Bhushan, 2006). 

The term pesticide covers a wide range of compounds including insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, rodenticides, molluscicides, nematicides, plant growth regulators and others.

Ideally a pesticide must be lethal to the targeted pests, but not to non-target species, including man. Unfortunately, this is not the case, so the controversy of use and abuse of pesticides has surfaced. That is aside from the fact that the cause of pesticide is also an addition to the costs of production.

As a result of the recent efforts, made by the Environmental Protection Agency, to reduce the use of harmful insecticides, especially, organophosphates, organochlorines, some carbamates and pyrethroids, in the agricultural crops, the trend has now shifted towards an integrated pest management (IPM) for the control of tephritid fruit flies (Roger et al., 2010).

A study had found that the phytochemical result of leaf and stem ethanolic extract indicated the presence of certain phytochemicals such as alkaloids, carbohydrates, cardiac glycosides, diterpenoids, flavonoids, proteins, saponins, steroids, tannins and triterpenoids that were proved to be vital in the insecticidal activity of the extracts. Thus, the stem and leaf ethanolic extracts of sesame are effective botanical insecticides against C. tomentosicollis especially at 20.00 mg/l of the leaf extract. With this result, it may also be effective to fruit fly with the same geniality and may help reduce the use of pesticides for the sustainable agriculture.

Generally, the study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of sesame leaf ethanolic extract to control fruit fly (Batrocera cucurbitae S.) on bitter gourd fruits.

Specifically, it aims to evaluate the efficacy of sesame leaf ethanolic extract on fruit fly (Batrocera cucurbitae S.), assess effect of sesame leaf ethanolic extract on fruit fly (Batrocera cucurbitae S.) on the growth and yield of bitter gourd, determine the most effective level and best method of application of sesame plant ethanolic extract responsive to Batrocera cucurbitae S. in bitter gourd and analyze the cost and return of the different treatments.

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Source : Control of fruit fly (Batrocera cucurbitae S.) with sesame leaf ethanolic extract in bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.)