Antifeedant Activity of Gloriosa superba Linn. Tuber Extracts Against Spodoptera litura (Fabricius)

Secondary metabolites of plants plays very important role in defence against herbivores. Efforts are being done to identify potential plant extracts that can be utilised in pest management programmes. In the present investigation antifeedant activity of different extracts obtained from tubers of lily, Gloriosa superba has been analysed. It was observed that chloroform extract (GST 4) exhibited best antifeedant activity (AI 50 : 26 and 60 ppm after 24 and 48 h of exposure, respectively) followed by butanol extract (GST 5) (AI 50 : 96 and 410 ppm after 24 and 48 h of exposure, respectively). Hexane extract (GST 1) found to be least effective where even 50 % antifeedancy was not observed after 48 h of exposure. Chloroform and butanol extracts were found inducing better antifeedancy than azadirachtin (20 %). It was revealed that extracts from tubers of G. superba have antifeedant activity against polyphagus pest Spodoptera litura .