Pesticidal activity of Leuca saspera (Willd.) Link on sugarcane shoot borer Chiloinfuscatellus

Leucasaspera is a short green and highly branched herb belongs to family labiatae and order tubiflorae. In India, Chiloinfus catellus is a major pest of sugarcane fields. It is very much essential to find out controlling approaches for this pest for greater manufacture of sugarcane. The present study indented to use the herb Leucasaspera to control the major sugar cane pest yellow stem borer i.e. Chiloinfuscatellus. Quantitative analysis of ethanol extract of Leucasaspera revealed the presence of tannin, flavonoids, protein, saponins, steroids, alkaloids and carbohydrates. The percentage of larval mortality was higher in ethanol extracts than the water extract. Results clearly indicates the lethality of the extracts on soft bodied third instar larva. Leucasaspera have the larvicidal and pupicidal activity due to presence of phytochemical compounds like Limonene and β-caryophyllene. They are also responsible for ecdysal failure and mortality. Percentage of adult emergence of C. infescatellus in ethanol extracts of L. aspera are clearly proved that L. aspera devastatingly destroys the life stages of the pest C. infescatellus. The results clearly proved that ethanol extracts ofL. aspera devastatingly destroys the life stages of the pest C. infescatellus. However, water extract is not much effective when compared to ethanol extracts. Which literally stated that water is not suitable solvent to extract the chemical constituents of the plant L. aspera. Thus the current study clearly demonstrate the role of local herb on control of a pest of native crop. However, field observations suggested usage of chemical and other modern farming techniques reduce the diversity of native herb like L. aspera which are potential alternative botanical pesticides. The study explore the value of the herb and suggest the farmers who are intended to follow the modern chemical based techniques to protective potential natural resources.