Pambujan N.
Samar
Efficacy of Chili Pepper (Capsicum annuum)
Extract as a Homemade Spray Against Hornworms
(Manduca sexta)
Researchers:
Jarito, Angel A.
Cheng, Grace Joy C.
Aira, Juan B.
Merly, Merino S.
Mary Jane Surio S.
Research Protocol
This experimental research aims to develop chili pepper extract as a
spray pesticide for hornworms. Capsaicin is the active chemical
responsible for killing the target insect, which is the hornworm
commonly found on crops like eggplants.
Procedures:
First, the researchers will prepare 100 grams of fresh or dried cayenne
pepper. They will slice and crush it until it turns into powder (Lamba
et al., 2021 and Ali et al., 2022).
Second, according to Claros Cuadrado et al. (2019) and Pumnuan et al.
(2022), the powdered chili pepper is soaked in hot water (70°C), stirred,
and 150 ml of petroleum ether is added. The mixture will be left for
three weeks, with occasional stirring.
Third, after three weeks, the mixture will be filtered using filter paper
(Whatman no. 1) or a clean fabric (Sleem, 2021).
Fourth, after filtration, cooking oil and dishwashing soap will be added.
The cooking oil will help the solution last longer on plants, while the
dishwashing soap acts as an emulsifier for capsaicin in the water-based
solution. This mixture will be left for 24 hours.
Fifth, to make the final product, a drop of the solution will be added to
water to create a ready-to-use spray insecticide. The researcher will
then spray it on plants.
Methods: The experiment to determine the effectiveness of chili
pepper extract will follow the protocol outlined in the published journal
article by Sleem (2021).
[Link] Insect
The specific insect used in this research is the hornworm (Manduca
quinquemaculata) found on eggplants. Only adult hornworms will be
used to test the solution. A total of 200 adult hornworms will be
gathered and placed in separate containers to be sprayed with chili
pepper extract during the control experiment. The activity of
insecticidal pests on eggplants will be observed to ensure they are
hornworm-free.
[Link] Toxicity (Effect of the Chili Pepper Extract on Mortality)
To determine the contact toxicity of chili pepper over time, the residual
film method will be used in petri dishes (5 cm in diameter). One
milliliter of each concentration will be spread uniformly over the entire
surface of the petri dishes. The solvent will be allowed to evaporate
overnight, leaving a thin film of chili pepper extract. Ten adult
hornworms will be released into each petri dish and covered with a lid.
The treatments will be replicated three times. Hornworm mortality will
be observed at 24, 48, and 72 hours after exposure to the chili pepper
extract. Insects that do not react or move when probed gently with a
needle or show no antennal movements will be considered dead. The
percentage mortalities will be transformed to arcsine values for
repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA).
[Link] Bioassay
To determine the effectiveness of the chili pepper extract, the
researcher will perform negative and positive control tests with 100
adult hornworms in each separate container by spraying the extract.
Additionally, the researcher will conduct the same test on actual
eggplants, observing if there are reductions in leaf damage, holes, stem
damage, and hornworm presence, thus maintaining the plant's health.
References:
Ali, M., Hashim, M., Ashfaq, M., Rashid, M. M. U., & Asrar, M.
(2022). Efficacy of botanical extracts against leaf hopper
(Amrasca biguttula biguttula (Ishida)) on okra (Abelmoschus
esculentus L.) crop. *Agricultural Sciences Journal*, 4(2), 56-62.
DOI: [Link]
Claros Cuadrado, J. L., Pinillos, E. O., Tito, R., Seguil Mirones, C., &
Gamarra Mendoza, N. N. (2019). Insecticidal properties of
capsaicinoids and glucosinolates extracted from Capsicum
chinense and Tropaeolum tuberosum. *Insects*, 10(5), 132.
[Link]
Iamba, K., Malapa, S., & Yoba, S. (2021). Utilizing local plant extracts
to control Diamondback moth in round cabbage. *Agriculture
and Environmental Sciences*, 2(2), 31-38. DOI:
[Link]
Pumnuan, J., Namee, D., Sarapothong, K., Doungnapa, T., Phutphat,
S., Pattamadilok, C., & Thipmanee, K. (2022). Insecticidal
activities of long pepper (Piper retrofractum Vahl) fruit extracts
against seed beetles (Callosobruchus maculatus Fabricius,
Callosobruchus chinensis Linnaeus, and Sitophilus zeamais
Motschulsky) and their effects on seed germination. *Heliyon*.
[Link]
Sleem, F. M. A. (Year). Insecticidal effect of Piper nigrum L.
(Pipeaceae) and Prunus cerasus L. (Rosaceae) seeds extract
against Rhyzopertha dominica F. (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae).
*Department of Insect Population Toxicology, Central
Agricultural Pesticide Laboratory, Agriculture Research Center*,
Dokki, Giza, Egypt.