BIOLOGICAL POTENTIAL AND MICROENCAPSULATION STABILITY OF D-LIMONENE, GARLIC OIL AND EPOXICONAZOLE FOR CONTROL OF CHILLY LEAF SPOT

Abstract

Pesticides based on chemicals are used to protect crops from a wide range of pests, resulting in enhanced agricultural output. Pesticide overuse causes issues such as residues in the environment, pest resistance, pest recurrence and so on. Pesticide overuse is expected to inflict $100 billion in harm worldwide. As a result, there is an urgent need for environmentally friendly pest management solutions that can minimize pesticide use without compromising agricultural production. Natural pesticides are a fantastic alternative to conventional pesticides since they have a lower impact on the environment and human health. Essential oils include phytochemicals, which are useful owing to their eco-safety, target-specificity, lack of resistance development, decreased number of applications and improved acceptance with minimal or no mammalian toxicity. The essential oil's field applicability, however, is hampered by its limited chemical stability and water solubility. Essential oils have been widely used as an active ingredient in fungicidal formulations. However, essential oils are highly unstable and prone to degradation when exposed to the environment during storage. Microencapsulation techniques help to maintain the stability of molecules in essential oils that are sensitive to environmental stress and therefore improve shelf life. In this study, the physical stability and efficacy of D-limonene 5% + garlic oil 5% + epoxiconazole 5% microencapsulation were evaluated under different storage conditions over a 12-month period by comparing the formulation with a non-encapsulated formulation. The formulations were both stored under two different storage conditions, i.e., heat stability at 54 ± 2 °C for 14 days and cold storage stability at 0 ± 2 °C for 14 days and Room temperature storage stability study done upto 12 months parameters viz. ai contents, suspensibility, pH, particle size, pourabity, specific gravity and viscosity were studied.  Droplet size, zeta potential and pH value were measured after 1, 6 and 12 months of storage to determine their stability. Biological potential  or bio-efficacy of microencapsulation essential oil formulation against leaf spot and fruit rot disease of chilly were observed percent disease index (PDI) and percent disease control (PDC) were calculated  and showed synergistic and effective in comparison to standard checks used in study as per good agricultural practice (GAP).

The purpose of pesticide formulations and recent requirements of pesticide industry are discussed and the importance of research work on pesticide delivery systems, is pointed out. For this purpose, the microcapsules, as one of the typical controlled release formulations, play an important role. Handling safety of the pesticides is improved considerably by microencapsulation due to hazard and exposure reduction.