Control of fruit fly (Batrocera cucurbitae S.) with sesame leaf ethanolic extract in bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.)

The increasing demand for eco-friendly agricultural practices has spurred interest in the development of botanical pesticides. The study aimed to investigate the effects of sesame leaf extract (ethanolic) to control insect pests of bitter gourd, Momordica charantia L. specifically fruit fly, Batrocera cucurbitae S. and to check its effect on the agronomics of the test crop. The study was conducted at Isabela State University – Cabagan campus for dry season C.Y. 2023 only. The treatments involved one negative control, one positive control (using commercial synthetic insecticide), pure sesame leaf extract and four treatments with varying concentration of sesame leaf ethanolic extract. Growth parameters (plant length), pest infestation rates, and yield components (number of fruits and average fruit weight) were measured. Results of the statistical analysis using Statistical Tool for Agricultural Research (STAR) software under Two-Factorial Randomized Complete Block Design revealed certain results. Hybrid variety consistently outclassed open pollinated variety on all agronomic parameters. The application of commercially available synthetic insecticide (T2) had recorded highest numbers in almost all parameters while plots applied with pure sesame leaf extract (T3) and sesame leaf ethanolic extract (T4-T7) also logged higher numbers compared to the untreated plants (T1) suggesting that the treatments employed had positive results. Economically, the use of 105ml/l sesame leaf ethanolic extract can be used hand-in-hand with commercial pesticide for better pest control especially fruit fly in bitter gourd. These results support the integration of botanical pesticides into sustainable agriculture and provide foundation for further explorations into naturally derived crop protection strategies. published by the International Journal of Agronomy and Agricultural Research (IJAAR)