Abstract:
Abstract:-Over time, many plant pests have grown resistant to
commercial pesticides. More pesticides are thus used to combat
their effects leading to agricultural expenses and environmental
pollution. Biogas slurry is known to have a natural pesticidal
effect. This study aimed at analyzing the effects of using two
indigenous biogas additives (Terminalia b. and Acanthaceae spp.)
in hastening the antimicrobial and pesticidal activity of bioslurry. Kitchen waste was used as the biogas substrate for a
retention period of 30 days. The extracts were characterized for
pesticidal components before subjecting to antimicrobial
analysis. Both gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and gram
negative (E. coli) bacteria along with Candida albicans fungus
were used for antibacterial and antifungal tests respectively. In
vitro efficacy tests were carried out on aphids and fall
armyworms and the toxicity studies (acute dermal toxicity and
acute dermal irritation) carried out on lab animals. The results
indicated abundance of organophosphates with traces of
chlorides, organochlorides and carbamates in the test samples.
There was significant antifungal and antibacterial properties of
the additive samples compared to the control sample (p ≤ 0.05,
n= 8). The samples were effective in the control of aphids
(Brassica alboglabra) as observed in the in vitro analysis.
Suppression of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) was not
satisfactory enough. The samples were dermally non-toxic,
neither do they induce dermal irritation.
Key words: pesticides, anti-microbes, bio-slurry, Terminalia b.,
Acanthaceae spp.
