Development of Emulsifiable Concentrates (EC) Formulations for Management of Snails

Abstract

The current study aimed to formulate soapnut rind-based preparations for the management of snails. The research work was conducted to study the Development of emulsifiable concentrates (EC) formulations for management of snails, was carried out at Department of Agricultural Entomology, College of Agriculture, Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli, Dist. Ratnagiri, (MS) India during 2023-2024. The study assessed the efficacy of six different EC formulations against snails under laboratory conditions. Soapnut (Sapindus) berries were dried at 70°C for 5 hours and ground into fine powder. Extraction was performed using a 1:10 solid-liquid ratio (10 g powder in 100 mL solvent) with Tween 20 as an emulsifier, stirred for 6 hours. The resulting emulsifiable concentrate (EC) formulation was evaluated for molluscicidal activity against snails. The experiment aimed to assess the evaluation of emulsifying concentrates for snail control using the topical application method. The highest per cent mortality was observed with ethanol (100 %), followed by water (95 %), boiled water (91.66 %), water-ethanol (88.33 %), acetone (76.66 %) and acetone-water (61.66 %), in that order. In the leaf dipping application method for controlling snails, the effectiveness of emulsifiable concentrate (EC) solvents shows a trend similar to that observed with the topical application method. However, the topical application method is generally more effective than the leaf dipping method. Hence the topical application provides more direct and localized contact with the snails, resulting in better control outcomes compared to the leaf dipping method. Importantly, none of the formulations demonstrated phytotoxic effects on the evaluated crops, indicating their safety and suitability for agricultural applications.