Comparative pesticidal activity of Allium sativum, Azadirachta indica and Moringa oleifera extracts against Ferrisia virgata (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera)

Ferrisia virgata (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) is a known polyphagous pest which causes severe yield losses in the vegetables and horticultural crops. This destruction is caused by sap-sucking, honeydew secretion, and sooty mold development. The excessive use of synthetic chemical pesticides in agriculture has raised serious environmental and health concerns. This study evaluated the insecticidal efficacy of methanolic extracts of Moringa oleifera (MO), Allium sativum (AS), and Azadirachta indica (AI) against Ferrisia virgata under controlled laboratory conditions. A simple maceration technique was used for the preparation of plant extracts at various concentrations (2%, 4%, 6% and 8%) for and combination of the three plants extracts. Laboratory testing was conducted on Okra leaves using a leaf dip method. Results showed a clear increase in mortality with both concentration and exposure time. At 8% and 96 h, Moringa oleifera showed the highest mortality (81.66%), followed closely by Allium sativum (80%), while Azadirachta indica reached 61.67%. The combined extract showed 71.67% mortality, indicating no synergistic benefit. Statistical analysis confirmed significant differences between treatments ( p < 0.05 ). The extracts were compared to the synthetic pesticide Talstar®, which resulted in 100% mortality within 24 h. These findings support the potential of individual botanical extracts, especially Moringa oleifera , as effective and environmentally safer pest control agents . Furthermore, the research has strong potential for its incorporation into integrated pest management (IPM) programs. For long-term environmental impacts and to evaluate field-level efficacy, future studies are required.