Chemical Composition, Insecticidal And Repellent Activities Of Eucalyptus Globulus And Cymbopogun Citratus Essential Oils Against Flea Beetle (Podagrica Uniforma)

This study was carried out to identify the compounds in the essential oils obtained from selected plants and to determine their insecticidal and repellent activities. The essential oils were obtained through hydrodistillation method and they were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). These were subjected to contact toxicity and repellent bio assays against Podagrica uniforma at different concentrations (100%, 50%, 25% and 0%). A standard insecticide (cypermethrin) was used as positive control while acetone was used as negative control. Experiments were laid out in a completely randomized design with 3 replicates. The GC-MS analysis identified 11 compounds in Eucalyptus (ES2) and 14 compounds in Lemongrass (LG). At higher concentrations and increased duration of application, both essential oils had a significant increase in the mortality and repellence of adult Podagrica uniforma which was comparable to the positive control but Eucalyptus essential oil had a significantly higher repellency than lemongrass essential oil.