Some Promising Plant Species for the Use as Biological Control Agents against Land Snails Populations

摘要

Studies were conducted at the private farm to evaluate the efficacy of botanical extracts in reducing snails’ populations on different host plants. Because snail’s populations have become important economic pest attacking various vegetation’s in last decade in Egypt. According to this study, the molluscicidal activity of plant extracts against some snail species was investigated. The obtained data indicated that Euphorbia helioscopia and Mentha spicata were the most effective materials against snails. The effect of plant extracts on the population’s dynamics of the pest species, the level of infestations and plant damage were assessed. Significantly more of the pests infested the control plants than the treated plots (P0.01). The mean percentage of damage of cabbage heads (size or weight) on the treated plots was significantly heavier than that of the control unsprayed plots. The use of these plant extracts can be incorporated into an overall control programme of these pests. The same trend for data recorded among lettuce and clover was equal. Lettuce plants more susceptible to snails than cabbage or clover due to its soft leaves.