Influence of shifting cultivation practices on soil-plant-beetle interactions.

Shifting cultivation (jhum) is a major land use practice in Mizoram. It was considered as an eco-friendly and efficient method when the cycle duration was long (15-30 years), but it poses the problem of land degradation and threat to ecology when shortened (4-5 years) due to increased intensification of farming systems. Studying beetle community structure is very helpful in understanding how shifting cultivation affects the biodiversity features compared to natural forest system.

Larvicidal activity of Ipomoea cairica (L.) Sweet and Ageratina adenophora (Spreng.) King & H. Rob. plant extracts against arboviral and filarial vector, Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae).

Culex quinquefasciatus Say, an arboviral and filarial vector, is one of the most widespread mosquitoes in the world, and insecticide-resistant populations have been reported worldwide. Due to the emergence of resistance in C. quinquefasciatus plant based products or plant extracts may be alternative sources in integrated vector management program.

Insecticidal and repellent activity of Hiptage benghalensis L. Kruz (Malpighiaceae) against mosquito vectors.

Plant-based insecticides for vector control are urgently needed for Anopheles barbirostris, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Aedes albopictus which are the primary vectors of malaria, lymphatic filariasis, and dengue, respectively, in India and other South East Asian countries. In the present study, larvicidal, adulticidal, and repellent activities of acetone root bark extract of Hiptage benghalensis were tested against the larvae and adults of the three mosquito vectors. The acetone root bark extracts of H.