Katherine Marie J. de Asis, Gzizelle Danine P. Jamero,Stephanie Grace C. Lucero (February 2007)
Philippine Science High School Western Visayas Campus – Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PSHS WVC), Brgy. Bito-on, Jaro, Iloilo City 5000, Philippines
ABSTRACT
Lycopersicon pennellii is a wild tomato species which has an insecticidal effect against green peach aphids (Myzus persicae). But the extent of the actual insecticidal effects of this variety of tomato remains unfamiliar. Since a more environment-friendly procedure to reduce aphid populace is preferred over the use of commercial insecticides, the determination of the capability of L. pennellii as a repellant is crucial.
This study aimed to compare the number of visits of aphids to sweet pepper leaves treated with L. pennelli leaf extracts with the number of visits to the untreated leaves. To achieve this, it intends to cultivate Lycopersicon pennellii and utilize its leaves for experimentation.
Two set-ups are involved in the study treated and untreated. The crude extraction method was used to obtain the extracts to be applied to the sweet pepper leaves for the treated set-up. Distilled water was applied to a separate pile of leaves for the untreated set-up. The leaves from both set-ups were exposed to the Myzus persicae for one hour.
Statistical analysis was done according to the number of aphid visits to each set-up. It showed the mean percentage visitation of aphids to both the treated and untreated set-ups to increase sequentially as the concentration increased but at one point, the 1:10 ratio, reduce rapidly and then increase again.
No particular concentration produced a significant difference in the number of aphids repelled in the treated and untreated set-ups, therefore rendering Lycopersicon pennellii to be an ineffective repellant against the green peach aphid.