Natural insecticide made from compound found in garlic and spearmint kills bean beetles effectively
In an effort to develop more environmentally friendly alternatives to synthetic insecticides, researchers from Kyushu University have developed and tested a new insecticide made from compounds derived from garlic and spearmint.
Researchers at Kyushu University have developed a novel natural insecticide derived from compounds found in garlic and spearmint, which effectively kills the adzuki bean beetle, a significant postharvest pest. The insecticidal compounds, diallyl disulfide (DDS) from garlic and R-carvone from spearmint, were processed into nanoemulsions using ultrasonication to create oil-in-water droplets.
These nanoemulsions showed increased toxicity towards the beetles, with DDS demonstrating a 30.5% boost in toxicity and R-carvone increasing toxicity by 8.2%. Moreover, the nanoemulsions had a minimal impact on non-target organisms, such as the parasitic wasp that infects adzuki beetle larvae, with only 22% of the wasps dying in comparison to up to 78% dying from the pesticides alone.
The researchers also found that the nanoemulsions did not leave any residue on adzuki seeds and enhanced the root growth of the seeds. The next step for the team is to test the nanoemulsions in real-world settings and explore their potential to control other pests, aiming to develop a sustainable and environmentally friendly pest control alternative.
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