Insecticidal and Nematicidal Effects of Agave tequilana Juice against Bemisia tabaci1 and Panagrellus redivivus2

There is much interest in the economic use of Agave tequilana Weber leaves to control major agro-industrial pests, because an estimated 741,000 tons of leaves are wasted each year as a byproduct of the tequila industry. Hexane and ethyl acetate extracts and the insecticidal activity of juice from the leaves of A. tequilana were evaluated against silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), and nematicidal action against Panagrellus redivivus L. Undiluted juice killed 31%, hexane extract diluted to 4% killed 100%, and the check Herald, a pyrethroid, at a concentration of 0.8% killed 100% of whiteflies. Juice diluted to 12%, ethyl acetate extract at 0.4%, and the check Vydate-L, a carbamate, at 0.8% killed 100% of P. redivivus nematodes. Juice from A. tequilana leaves contained alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, triterpenes, and/or steroids that might have killed silverleaf whitefly and P. redivivus. The results demonstrated that juice from leaves of A. tequilana, which are a byproduct of the tequila beverage industry, are a potential insecticide and nematicide. Agave juice is a biological alternative to organophosphate and carbamate insecticides that cause pest resistance, environmental pollution, and health problems.