Efficacy of extracts from selected indigenous plants as potential botanical pesticides for controlling golden apple snail, pomacea canaliculata / ‘Amirah Sa’aidah Nafisah Othman

Rice is the most important staple food crops after wheat and maize. The production of rice is insufficient due to infestation of the golden apple snail, Pomacea canaliculata. Golden apple snail is a major pest in paddy field due to its ability to grow in high water level and caused severe damage on young leaf and stem of paddy bases. Thus, paddy plant will completely damage. Due to this problem, farmers used synthetic pesticides to control infestation of the golden apple snail. However, excessive usage of synthetic pesticides gave negative impact to humans, natural environment and non-target organisms. Hence, farmers began to aware the dangers of synthetic pesticides and looked for an alternative by using botanical pesticide. Botanical pesticides are naturally occurring derived from plants that contain chemical compound act as repellent, antifeedant and insect growth regulatory activities. The aims of this study are (i) to quantify phytochemical compounds of Ipomoea aquatica, Peltophorum pterocarpum and Cosmos caudatus extract in methanol and ethanol using Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) Spectrophotometer analysis, (ii) to identify the mortality and antifeedant activity of I. aquatica, P. pterocarpum and C. caudatus extract in methanol and ethanol for controlling golden apple snail and (iii) to compare the effective concentration of I. aquatica, P. pterocarpum and C. caudatus extract in methanol and ethanol for controlling golden apple snail. Based on the result of UV-Vis spectrophotometer, the saponin compounds (lupeol) is the highest chemical compounds in I. aquatica and P. pterocarpum extract in methanol and ethanol while flavonoid compounds (catechin) is the highest compound in C. caudatus extract in methanol and ethanol. The result showed after seven days of application, the P. pterocarpum extracts in methanol showed the highest antifeedant index (AFI) (46.87%) compared with other treatments. The finding from this study showed P. pterocarpum extracts in methanol gave highest antifeedant effect compared with I. aquatica and C. caudatus. This study is recommended to formulate the effective concentration of P. pterocarpum extracts in methanol for formulation and test in laboratory and paddy field. The combination of P. ptercarpum and I. aquatica extract in methanol also recommended to test under laboratory and field condition towards golden apple snail mortality and antifeedant test.