Utilization of botanicals in the management of insect pests in sericulture

Botanical insecticides are most suitable alternative to synthetic chemical insecticides for pest management in sericulture. It has low mammalian toxicity and less phytotoxic properties. Botanical insecticides are rapidly degraded and less persistent in the environment and therefore, it reduced risks to non- target organism especially silkworm. Neem, and pyrethrum are commercially utilized. Pesticides based on essential oils are used to control various dipteran insects in sericulture. Use of neem products in sericultural pest control has many merits. It may be applied to control uzi fly, mealybug, whitefly, stem borer, defoliators and soil inhibiting insects which are causing extensive damage to silk industry. Pyrethrum is the powdered dried head of the Chrysanthemum cinerariefolium where as neem products and its derivatives are derived from Azadirachta indica. Azadirachtin is the most important active principle in neem seed karnel. It is a steroid like tetranortriterpenoid (limnoid) which is highly effective against several pests. Rotenone is derived from the roots of Derris elliptica and some other plant species. viz. Lonchocarpus and Tephrosia. Sabadilla is extracted from the ripe seed of Schoenocalom officinale . Rynaia is another important plant from which insecticides are extracted to minimize pest population. The botanical insecticides prepared from Melia spp. are used for pest control in China. Botanical insecticides are generally used under organic food production programme however, in sericulture it has tremendous scope under integrated pest management programme.