RT Journal
T1 IN-SITU APPLICATION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES IN COMBINATION WITH BOTANICAL EXTRACTS TO ENHANCE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS IN CONTROLLING SUCKING INSECT PESTS OF COTTON
A1 Muhammad Asif Farooq
A1 Muhammad Furqan Ali
A1 FARRUKH baig
A1 Asim Abbasi
A1 Bilal Atta
JF Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences
JO JAPS
SN 1018-7081
VO 36
IS 2
SP 405
OP 417
YR 2026
FD 2026/12/28
DO DOI https://doi.org/10.36899/JAPS.2026.2.0034
AB <p><span lang="EN-GB">Sucking insect pests pose serious threats to various crops, necessitating effective integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. This study explores residue-free, alternative pest control techniques using</span><span lang="EN-GB">electromagnetic waves in synergy with botanical extracts of&nbsp;<em>Azadirachta indica</em>&nbsp;(Neem),&nbsp;<em>Moringa oleifera</em>&nbsp;(Moringa), and&nbsp;<em>Citrus limon</em>&nbsp;(Lemon) for managing key sucking pests:&nbsp;<em>Bemisia tabaci</em>,&nbsp;<em>Aphis gossypii</em>,&nbsp;<em>Amrasca biguttula</em>,&nbsp;<em>Oxycarenus hyalinipennis</em>, and&nbsp;<em>Thrips tabaci</em>. Laboratory experiments were conducted under a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with five microwave exposure durations (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 seconds) and four concentrations (5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) of each botanical extract, each replicated three times. Microwaves at 2.4 GHz were applied using a custom-built device. The 20-second exposure time resulted in the highest mortality across all insect species, with&nbsp;<em>B. tabaci</em>&nbsp;(27.6%),&nbsp;<em>A. gossypii</em>&nbsp;(22.3%),&nbsp;<em>A. biguttula</em>&nbsp;(21.1%),&nbsp;<em>O</em>.&nbsp;<em>hyalinipennis</em>&nbsp;(22.5%), and&nbsp;<em>T. tabaci</em>&nbsp;(21.8%). When combined with botanical extracts, mortality significantly increased&mdash;maximum mortality occurred after 72 hours with 20%&nbsp;<em>A. indica</em>&nbsp;(24.38%),&nbsp;<em>M. oleifera</em>&nbsp;(24.44%), and&nbsp;<em>C. limon</em>&nbsp;(21.54%) extracts. Integrating microwaves with botanicals demonstrated significant synergistic insecticidal activity under controlled laboratory conditions. This innovative, residue-free approach offers a viable alternative to synthetic insecticides, aligning with sustainable pest management goals. Future research should focus on field-scale validation, optimization of microwave delivery systems, and phytochemical profiling of botanicals to enhance efficacy and scalability.</span></p>
K1 Microwaves, Plant extracts, Cotton, Sucking pest complex, Mortality
PB Pakistan Agricultural Scientists Forum
LK https://thejaps.org.pk/AbstractView.aspx?mid=2025-JAPS-405