Determination of Insecticidal Properties in Total Soluble Proteins of Indigenous Plants Against Crop Pests

Chemical pesticides used in crops have become a major concern due to their harmful effects on the environment and human health. This study aims to identify and characterize the insecticidal proteins in local plants and determine their efficacy against common crop pests. By analyzing the mode of action and toxicity of these proteins, this research could provide a sustainable and eco-friendly approach to pest management. The goal was to evaluate the insecticidal efficacy of various plant total soluble proteins against crop pests e.g. whitefly and mustard aphid. Two types of protein extracts were used, pellet protein (P) and supernatant protein (S). Aphid mortality data was collected after12, 24, and 48 hours of feeding. The results showed that Eucalyptus-P and Kikar-P had the highest mortality (9.67) on aphid followed by jamun-P, Sheesham-P, and jamun-S (9.33). While the Bakain-P had the lowest amount of mortality (6.33) on aphids after 12, 24 and 48 hours of feeding. Insect Bio-feeding assay on mustard whitefly was conducted and data collected after 12- and 24-hours treatment. The results showed that Eucalyptus-P and Sheesham-P exhibited the highest mortality (7.33) against whitefly followed by Jamun-P and Kikar-P (5.33) after 12 and 24 hours. Whereas Neem-S showed the lowest mortality at (2.67) on whitefly population. Overall, proteins from Eucalyptus globulus, Acacia nilotica, Dalbergia sissoo and Syzygium cumini showed the highest mortality on both pests. Overall, plant total soluble proteins demonstrated more insecticidal properties and potential compared to supernatant proteins which can be used as effective biopesticides against aphid and whitefly.