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Botanical Insecticides for Mung Bean Pests: A Rajasthan Study
Last Updated: August 10, 2025
Are you struggling with pests damaging your mung bean crop? What if the solution was already growing in your local environment, offering a safer alternative to chemical sprays? Mung bean is a vital pulse crop in India, but its yield is often threatened by significant insect infestations. Finding effective and environmentally sound control methods is a critical challenge for farmers today.
This article delves into a comprehensive two-year thesis from Rajasthan that tested the power of botanical insecticides for mung bean pests. We will explore how simple plant-based solutions made from neem, turmeric, and clove stood up against major insect threats, providing valuable insights for sustainable agriculture.
Identifying Key Mung Bean Pests in Rajasthan
Before finding a solution, the first step is to identify the problem. The research focused on the primary insects causing the most damage to mung bean crops in the region.
The study identified three primary culprits: “aphid (Aphis craccivora), jassid (Ampoasca motti) and whitefly (Bemisia tabaci)” (p. 72). These insects are considered the most destructive during the plant’s vegetative stage. They cause “massive damage by sucking significant amounts of cell sap from delicate plant portions” (p. 3). Furthermore, whiteflies are particularly dangerous because they “spread the Yellow Mosaic Virus (YMV), which reduces production by 30% to 70%” (p. 3).
Testing Botanical Insecticides for Mung Bean Pest Control
With the key pests identified, the study set out to test the efficacy of locally available, natural alternatives to chemical pesticides. The growing interest in these methods is clear, as “due to the limitations of synthetic pesticides, the use of botanical pesticides for crop protection has grown in popularity” (p. 6).
The research utilized three common botanicals:
- Neem (Azadirachta indica)
- Turmeric (Curcuma longa)
- Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) (p. 52).
Extracts from these plants were prepared and applied in two different concentrations, 10% and 15%, to determine their effectiveness in reducing pest populations over the 2019 and 2020 Kharif seasons (p. 70).
Neem’s Superiority: A Top Botanical Insecticide for Aphids
Aphids were a major target, and the results showed a clear winner among the botanical treatments.
In 2019, the “Application of neem extract @15% was noticed very effective with 69.57 percent mean reduction” in the aphid population after the second spray (p. 92). This outperformed both turmeric and clove extracts. The trend continued in 2020, where the “treatment of neem extract solution @15% also caused maximum reduction of 77.36 percent in population of aphids” (p. 181). These findings highlight neem’s potent ability to control aphid infestations naturally.
Managing Whitefly with Botanical Insecticides
Whiteflies, notorious for spreading the destructive Yellow Mosaic Virus, were also significantly impacted by the botanical treatments. Once again, neem extract proved to be the most powerful solution.
The 2019 results showed that applying a 15% neem extract solution led to a remarkable “78.18% in population of whitefly which was observed significantly superior over control” (p. 181). Following this, turmeric extract at 15% caused a 76.36% reduction. In 2020, the 15% neem extract again led the way, causing a “maximum reduction of 73.91 percent in population of white fly” (p. 181).
Natural Jassid Control Using Plant Extracts
Jassids, the third major pest, also succumbed to the plant-based insecticides. The pattern of effectiveness was consistent across the study.
In 2019, the 15% neem extract “caused maximum reduction of 70.30% in population of jassid which was observed significantly superior over control” (p. 182). This was followed by 15% turmeric extract (67.44%) and 15% clove extract (65.12%). The results in 2020 were even more impressive, as the 15% neem solution “caused maximum reduction of 76.92% in population of jassid” (p. 182).
The Overall Effectiveness of Botanical Insecticides for Mung Bean
After two years of rigorous field trials, the research concluded a clear hierarchy of effectiveness among the tested botanicals. For controlling aphids, whiteflies, and jassids in mung bean, the order was definitive: “neem >turmeric>clove extract” (p. 181).
In nearly all cases, the higher concentration (15%) of the botanical extracts yielded better results than the 10% solution. This provides farmers with crucial data-backed evidence that natural, plant-derived solutions can be a powerful tool in an integrated pest management strategy.
Conclusion
This comprehensive study from Rajasthan confirms that botanical insecticides for mung bean pests are not just a theoretical concept but a practical and effective reality. Neem extract, in particular, stands out as a potent, natural weapon against aphids, whiteflies, and jassids. By embracing these sustainable alternatives, farmers can protect their crops, reduce reliance on synthetic chemicals, and promote a healthier agricultural ecosystem.
Sources & Citations
- Thesis Title: Study and Possible Control Measures for Insect Pests of Mung Bean in Rajasthan
- Researcher: Anand Kumar Prajapat
- Guide (Supervisor): Dr. Lekhu Gehlot
- University: Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur
- Year of Compilation: 2022
- Excerpt Page Numbers: 3, 6, 52, 70, 72, 92, 96, 101, 181, 182.
Disclaimer: Some sentences have been lightly edited for SEO and readability. For the full, original research, please refer to the complete thesis PDF linked in the section above.
What are your experiences with using natural or botanical pesticides on your crops? Share your successes and challenges in the comments below!
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