Search

With an increasing annual production, mainly in the Northeast, where there are favorable climatic conditions, the watermelon culture is one of the main generators of foreign exchange and direct and indirect jobs in Rio Grande do Norte. However, pest attacks are among the main factors limiting production, being controlled based on the use of chemicals, which in addition to increasing production costs generate accumulation of chemical residues in the fruits. To overcome this problem, it is necessary to create new alternatives for pest management, especially the whitefly that stands out as one of the main ones. In a scenario where research related to plant-based insecticides opens up perspectives and space for its use in pest control, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of plant extracts in the control of watermelon whiteflies. Free choice tests for feeding and oviposition were performed using four aqueous extracts (neem, nutsedge, pepper and sorghum) and control (water), with four replicates. The treatments were randomly arranged in cages, forming an arena in which the pest was released. It was concluded that watermelon plants sprayed with neem extracts were less attractive to whiteflies, both for food and for oviposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]