Asparagaceae versus gastropod pests, a sustainable alternative for local food security

Abstract

Horticultural crops are attacked by gastropod pests, which makes it necessary to search for sustainable alternatives capable of combating them. The tests were carried out in the Botany Laboratory of the Faculty of Agrarian Sciences of the University of Cienfuegos, Cuba. The saps they proved came from the species; Agave brittoniana Trel, Furcraea Antillana A. and Agave fourcroydes Lem and the residual from the Henequenera “Francisco del Sol” plant, also from the Abreu Municipality. To evaluate the molluscicide activity in the laboratory, contact applications were made, for this the standard procedure guide of the World Health Organization for the Evaluation of Molluscicide Activity of Plants was followed. The species A. brittoniana, F. antillana and A. fourcroydes present molluscicide activity against the species P. griseola and S. octona. The residual juice from the productive process of obtaining fibers from A. fourcroydes (Hénequen) in Cienfuegos also showed molluscicide activity against P. griseola and S. octona, becoming a sustainable alternative for the control of pest gastropods in pursuit of local food security.

Keywords: Mollusks, Agaves, Sustainability and Local agriculture.