A Master’s thesis at the Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, University of Kerbala, addressed the evaluation of the efficiency of certain integrated pest management (IPM) elements in controlling the cabbage aphid Brevicoryne brassicae and measuring the residual effect of the insecticide Lambda-cyhalothrin under field conditions.
The thesis, presented by the student Rawasi Abdul-Ridha Shalbah Al-Masoudi, was structured into five chapters.
The study highlighted several important aspects:
- Evaluation of the efficacy of plant-based insecticides (Palizin, Tondexir, and Oxymatrine), in addition to the commercial bacterial preparation Amyloland, against cabbage aphid under field conditions.
- Assessment of the synergistic effects of combining nano-silica particles (SNPs), plant-based insecticides, and the bacterial preparation Amyloland in field applications against cabbage aphid.
- Evaluation of the chemical insecticide Karate 5% EC, as well as the potential of loading this insecticide onto nano-silica under field conditions.
- Measurement of the residual effect of the chemical insecticide Lambda-cyhalothrin using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).
- Application of post-harvest practices (food preparation processes) to reduce pesticide residues in cabbage leaves, including washing with water only, washing with water and soap, and soaking in saline and vinegar solutions.
The study concluded with several recommendations:
- The use of the plant-based insecticide Palizin and the biopesticide Amyloland as effective, eco-friendly alternatives to conventional chemical pesticides, with the possibility of integrating these biopesticides into IPM strategies to enhance efficacy and reduce reliance on chemical pesticides.
- Incorporating the synergistic combination (Palizin + Amyloland) into control programs to improve effectiveness and minimize chemical pesticide use.
- Promoting the use of nano-pesticides such as LAMBDA@SiO₂NPs, taking advantage of their high efficiency and dose-reduction potential.
- Conducting further research on the long-term environmental impacts of nanomaterials.
- Applying a pre-harvest interval (PHI) of 7 days when using Lambda-cyhalothrin to ensure pesticide residues decrease to safe levels.
- Encouraging consumers to wash cabbage leaves with a 5% NaCl saline solution or vinegar solution, which can reduce pesticide residues by up to 90%.
- Carrying out further studies on the role of other nanocompounds in enhancing the efficacy of plant-based and biopesticides.
