Abstract

THE LABORATORY INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECT OF ALOCASIA MACRORRHIZOA AND URTICA DIOICA EXTRACTS ON CAUCASOTACHEA LENCORANEA (MOUSS.) AND HELICELLA CANDEHARICA (L. PFR.)

Fatemeh Elmi, Hassan Hoda and Maryam M. Elmi*

ABSTRACT

Snails and slugs are the most important pests in agriculture and horticulture throughout the world. They cause an abundant damage on seeds, seedlings, leaves, crops and fruits. This laboratory study indicates that crude extracts of fresh stems of Alocasia macrorrhiza and ethanol extracts of Urtica dioica leaves have mollucicide potency. The dilutions of crude extract of Alocasia macrorriza stem caused significant mortality rate in Caucasotachea lencoranea (Mouss.) and Helicella candeharica. About 54% of Caucasotachea lencoranea (Mouss.) died during 24h after treating with 10 to 13 times of crude extract dilution 1.85 mg/ml and 81.08% of Helicella candeharica died after 24h with the use of 1.23 mg/ml crude extract. The ethanol extract of Urtica dioica leaves showed to have a toxicant effect on H.candeharica and an anti feeding effect on C. lencoranea (Mouss.). The result showed that Alocasia macrorrhiza and Urtica dioica are promising plant molluscicide candidates that deserve further investigations.

Keywords: Alocasia macrorrhizoa, Urtica dioica, snails, molluscicides, Caucasotachea lencoranea (Mouss.), Helicella candeharica (L. Pfr.)