Volume 6 | Issue -14
Volume 6 | Issue -14
Volume 6 | Issue -14
Volume 6 | Issue -14
Volume 6 | Issue -14
Callosobruchus chinensis is a stored grain pest of legumes that is known to cause huge economic losses each year. As the adverse effects of chemical control strategies became more evident, alternative plant resources for pest control have become the key for sustainable pest control. The present study focuses on the use of Pongamia pinnata seed extracts as a natural controlling agent for the pest. An in-silico study was designed to evaluate the effect of bioactive phytochemicals of P. pinnata seeds against enzymes of the target pest. The results of the in-silico study were then correlated with direct toxicity tests and other parameters of insect life cycle. The results of the initial in-silico analysis with six bioactive phytochemicals of P. pinnata shows significant values for energy of interactions with the target enzymes of C. chinensis with highest mean rerank score of and -73.28672±7.857 for pongamol with glutathione s transferase and -88.1554±5.399 for pongapin with alpha amylase, thus indicating effectiveness of P. pinnata in natural control of the target pest. The initial results were confirmed with results of direct toxicity tests on C. chinensis with graded concentrations (2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 10% and 12%) of P. pinnata seed extracts. Results show an overall mean percentage mortality of 61.9±23.51. The Probit analysis data indicates a LC50 (% conc) value of 4.16 for adult insects. Further analysis of the effects of the plant extract on the oviposition and emergence of adult insects after fertilizations shows significant outcome. Treatments with graded concentrations of P. pinnata seed extracts show the overall effect on oviposition at an average of 21.44±9.60 and the effect on the mean percent emergence of adult at 60.6±11.68. From the results thus obtained from the study it can be ascertained that the seed extracts of P. pinnata shows significant effects as a natural control product of stored grain pest C. chinensis