Vol. 5, Issue 2, Part A (2023)

An experiment was conducted to assess the comparative toxicological biopotentency of certain asteraceous botanicals ie. Tivra gandha (Chromolaena odorata), Akarkara (Acemella paniculata), Pyrethrum Daisy (Tanacetum cinerariifolium), Pushkarmool (Inula racemosa) and Chichori (Cichorium intybus) extractives were carried out under laboratory condition against nymph and adults of okra ahid, Aphis gossypii. The okra leaves were used as food for the nymph and adults of A. gossypii. Okra leaves were treated with different concentrations (0.5,1.0 and 2.0 per cent) for two minutes. The treated leaves were left under electric fan for about half an hour, to make a dry film of the extracts on the leaves for each set of extract and one control. The treated foods were kept in jar (23cm x 10 cm) on moist filter paper. The untreated leaves were dipped in Benzene + emulsified water only. Ten starved aphids were released in each jar along with control. Three replicates per treatments were maintained. Number of aphids dead in treated food were recorded and mortality of aphids were calculated over control was estimated. It was seen that extract of Tivra gandha (Chromolaena odorata) possessed significant results. It killed 80.86 per cent aphids followed by followed by Akarkara (Acemella paniculata) (78.26 per cent), Pyrethrum Daisy (Tanacetum cinerariifolium) (66.59 per cent) Pushkarmool (Inula racemosa) (53.55per cent) > Chichori (Cichorium intybus) (46.42 per cent) aphid mortality, respectively. The insecticide Tivra gandha, Chromolaena odorata differs significantly from the remaining ones except Akarkara, Acmella paniculata.