Three green seaweed extracts and their fractions for ecofriendly management of pestiferous insect Spodoptera litura

Polyphagous pest Spodoptera litura poses a serious threat to important agriculture crops and their products. A green ecofriendly alternative to existing chemical pesticides, bio-fertilizers are preferred to protect the crop and increase their yield against pests. Hence, three common seaweed crude extracts ( Caulerpa scalpelliformis , Caulerpa veravalensis, and Ulva lactuca ) and chromatographic fractions of C. scalpelliformis [CS-1 (683–759) and CS-2 (1038–1130)] were screened against S. litura under different concentrations in castor leaves. Dose-dependent mortality was observed for crude extracts and their column chromatographic fractions. Conversely, fractions [CS-1 (683–759) and CS-2 (1038–1130)] recorded highest mortality at 1.0 ppm and lowest at 0.12 ppm. GC–MS analysis of C. scalpelliformis and C. veravalensis exhibited the highest peak of n -Hexadecanoic acid and 1,4-Bis(trimethylsilyl) benzene, respectively. The access proportion index suggested C. scalpelliformis was more active than other seaweeds. Henceforth, the results suggest that the above seaweed extracts may be developed as bio-alternative agrochemicals for pest control.