Abstract

Okra cultivation is plagued by pests that affect productivity. Consequently, the use of chemical pesticides causes problems. The present study was conducted to assess the impact of plant extracts of Azadirachta indica, Hyptis suaveolens and Solanum lycopersicum on the abundance of insect pests of the Hiré and Clemson okra varieties. To do this, a factorial block design was set up and foliar applications of these extracts were made, after which the insects were quantified. The extracts significantly reduced the abundance of Podagrica decolorata (p = 0.0009), Amrasca biguttula (p = 0.01), Zonocerus variegatus (p = 0.02) and Jacobiasca lybica (p = 0.009). Chemical treatment was effective on Podagrica decolorata with an average abundance of 40±10.2, followed by hydroetanolic treatment of Hyptis suaveolens (43.3±15.4). On Amrasca biguttula, the hydro-anolic extract of the Azadirachta indica + Solanum lycopersicum combination was effective with an average abundance of 39.7±3.2. On Jacobiasca lybica, the chemical treatment was more effective (18±6.2), followed by the hydroethanolic treatments of Azadirachta indica (27±2.1) and Hyptis suaveolens (29±6.2). The aqueous extract of Hyptis suaveolens considerably reduced the abundance of Zonocerus variegatus (3.7±4.6) after the chemical treatment (3.5±5.7). However, no significant difference was observed between these extracts and the chemical control (p > 0.05). Yields showed a higher average number of fruits (131.83±45.6) in the chemically treated plot, followed by the plot treated with the hydroethanol extract of Hyptis suaveolens and Solanum lycopersicum (128.83±15.2).

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