Evaluación de extractos de quínoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) y paico (Dysphania ambrosioides L.) para el control de moluscos

Abstract

Several crops are attacked by considerable populations of garden snails (Cornu aspersum) and the most common way to control them is the use of metaldehyde-based chemicals that can affect producer and consumer health. For this reason, it is necessary to search for new alternatives to control the pest in botanical extracts based on plants such as quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) and paico (Dysphania ambrosioides). The investigation was carried out in the laboratories of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of the Technical University of Ambato and its purpose was to determine the effect of extracts of quinoa and paico for the control of molluscs applied at different dose (5-7, 5-10%). A completely randomized design was used with six treatments plus a chemical control and a control without application. Obtaining positive results in the highest concentrations of each extract; by means of the statistical analysis with the application of the quinoa extract, a high percentage of mortality was obtained at 24 hours with the concentration at 10% reaching 100% mortality, it means 25 dead individuals, the dose of paico extract with the highest percentage of mortality was 10%, reaching 92% mortality, which represents a total of 23 individuals dead 48 hours after application. In addition, it was possible to verify the sublethal effect that the decrease in the pest population shows, as well as behavioral effects in the specimens such as: loss of the ability to retract within its shell and excessive secretion of mucosa causing dehydration.