One of the Institute's recent approaches for insect pest management is the exploitation of botanical pesticides for their minimal costs and fewer ecological side effects. Twenty four seed oils and 8 essential oils from plants were evaluated and screened for their effectiveness in controlling cotton aphids and leaf mites. Using the selected materials, a “plant oil formulation” was developed from a mixture of seed oil, essential oil, water and surfactant having the optimum hydrophilic-lipophilic balance value. This transparent microemulsified formulation affects only target pests, decomposes quickly in nature, and is effective in very low doses for the control of cotton aphids and leaf mites.

    This botanical pesticide formulation is diluted 200- to 400-fold with water before application. In case of serious infestation, it should be diluted to 200-fold and sprayed once every three days until the pest population is under control. When incorporated into integrated pest management programs, this formulation can decrease the use of conventional pesticides, or can be used in rotation, thus lessening the development of resistance in pest populations.