Effectiveness of selected botanical plant extracts on managing termites, macrotermes bellicosus

Abstract

The study assessed the effectiveness of selected plant extracts in managing termites (Macrotermes bellicosus) under laboratory conditions. The study specific objectives included; to identify the phyto chemicals present in botanical plant extracts under laboratory conditions, to optimise the selected botanical plant extracts on termites’ management under laboratory conditions and to find out the influence of botanical plant combinations on termites’ management under laboratory conditions. The study employed quantitative design that utilized true experiment and quantitative data collection methods. Termites were collected from the existing termite mounds in 4 farms in the villages of Rugarama 1and 2 in Bubaare sub county, Mbarara district. Random sampling technique was used in selection of the four farms. Plant extracts which included; Vernonia amagydalina, Lantana camara, Phytollaca dodecandra and Senna spectabilis were used in experiments based on the study objectives. Study findings revealed that all the plant extracts Vernonia amagydalina, Lantana camara, Phytolaca dodecandra and Senna spectabilis all contain Alkaloids, Flavonoids, Saponins Terpenoids and Phenols (p-value=0.385) which means the presence of phytochemicals across all the plant extracts was almost the same. Findings revealed that there is a significant difference in mortality rates of termites at different concentration levels of botanical plant extracts(p value= 0.003596) with 75mg/ml concentration achieving 100% mortality of termites at 12 hours with botanical plant extracts of Lantana camara and Vernonia amygdalina. More to that, there is a significant difference in mortality rates of termites while using different botanical plant combinations (p value =0.00313). It is concluded that the concentration of 75mg/ml registered the highest mortality rate of termites compared to 25mg/ml and 50mg/ml levels of concentration when using different botanical plants extracts and also plant combinations of Phytolaca dodecandra and Senna spectabilis achieved a complete mortality of termites (100%) within the shortest time interval and with the least concentration of 25mg/ml.It is recommended that using botanical plant extracts in managing termites should be conducted in field settings.