Farming: Expert Recommends Plant Extracts As Alternatives To Synthetic Insecticides

A lecturer at the Department of Crop and Environmental Protection at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Dr Ademola Odewole, said that plant extracts can be used as insecticides.

Therefore, she advised farmers to explore using plant extracts as insecticides.

Odewole, during an interview with LEADERSHIP in Ilorin, Kwara State, explained that plant extracts have shown significant promise as alternatives to synthetic insecticides.

“Plant extracts have shown significant promise as alternatives to synthetic insecticides. These extracts are environmentally sustainable, biodegradable, and leave no harmful residues in soil, water, or food.

“Plants such as ginger, sunflower, fish bean, African black pepper, cloves and citrus possess potent pesticidal properties and are readily available and cost-effective for smallholder farmers,” she said.

The expert observed that proper formulation of these extracts ensures their efficacy against pests while preserving beneficial organisms and the overall ecological balance.

She lamented that chemical insecticides are used on vegetables that are consumed daily by most people.

Odewole, a postdoctoral researcher in the management and conservation of natural and agrarian at the Federal University of Vicosa, Brazil, observed that the adverse effects of chemical insecticides are profound and multifaceted.

Odewole warned that prolonged use of chemical insecticides can lead to resistance in pest populations, adding that this can force farmers to increase dosages, perpetuating the cycle of dependence.

She disclosed that an experiment conducted on harvested cucumber fruits from different markets in the five local governments of Ogbomoso showed high chemical residue in some local governments when compared with the European Union Maximum Residue Limits (EU MRLs) standard.

“The values indicate that the public is exposed to the health risks of pesticide residues through cucumber consumption in part of the study area,” she said.