Abstract

ANTI-TERMITE POTENTIAL OF VARIOUS BIO-ORGANIC CONSTITUENTS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO FAMILY ASTERACEAE

*Susheel Kumar and Ravi Kant Upadhyay

Abstract

The present review article emphasizes anti-termite potential of various natural plant products against various termite species, i.e. subterranean termites, dry wood termite, and dampwood termites. Termites invade standing crops wood clothes, paper orchard vegataion and cause heavy damage to vegetable plants, seeds, bark, stems and stired grain products. This article suggests use of various methods i.e. physical, biological, microbial, genetic, bio organic and behavioural control including plant essential oils as highly effective control agents from family asteraceae for control of termites. This article emphasizes environmentally safer methods for termite control and replacement of synthetic pesticides. Use of plant origin pesticides reduces the risks related to the death of non-target organisms and environmental pollution. These control methods have no adverse effect on natural ecosystems and few of them are highly selective and applied to save the biodiversity mainly beneficial key stone species. This article favors use of bio-organic constituents and production of ecological safe insecticide formulations by using various natural plant products with special reference to essential oils fromfamily asteraceae.

Keywords: Termite control, natural plant product, Microbial control, Bio-organic control.