RESEARCH JOURNAL #8

Name: Leanne Dwayne V. Alefante Date of Passing: November 15, 2019

Gr. & Sec.: 8- Amaryllis Group: 2

St. Joseph’s School – Mactan

Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City
A.Y 2012-2013

INVESTIGATORY PROJECT PROPOSAL:

NATURAL INSECTICIDES

Submitted to :
Mrs. Maila Juanita Valderama
Subject Teacher

Submitted by :
Babe Jay Senerpida
Mark Bryan Suralta
Allyssa Loi Dungog
Rogelynn Aying
Louie Jay Durano
Mary Joyce Sabanal
Dave Christian Arellano
Carlo Labayan
Marle Tatud
Gellan Abraham Reusora

Yr. IV – St. Seraphin

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title 1

Chapter I.
Rationale 3
Statement Of the Problem 4
Statement of the Hypothesis 6
Theoretical/Conceptual Framework 6
Definition of Terms 8

Chapter II
Related Literature and Studies 9

Chapter III
Materials 14
Procedure 14
Bibliography 17
CHAPTER I
Rationale
Today, we can clearly see the slow killing of Mother nature. Destructions are everywhere. Air, water
and even land pollution. We have no escape. As students, we should be aware of what is happening in
our environment and society and do something, in our smallest little ways, to help preserve our only
home. We are given an Investigatory Project or an IP in our Physics class to somehow lessen our
environmental problem. Our assigned project to be investigated is the Homemade or Natural
Insecticide. We all know, that our Ozone layer is getting thinner and thinner every time because of the
chemicals we use daily. Now, to lessen the problem in our Ozone layer, we are going to study about
the use of natural insecticides that are CFC-free. We can not only protect and help preserve our
environment, we can also be sure that our plants and crops are healthy too. Here, we will give you an
overview of what a Natural Insecticide really is. A Natural Insecticide is a Chemical or biological
substance designed to kill or retard the growth of pests that damage or interfere with the growth of
crops, shrubs, trees, timber and other vegetation desired by humans. This is the best substitute to
synthetic insecticides that can harm our planet. A synthetic insecticide can contain poisons and toxins
that are not found in a natural insecticide. These can be harmful to living things other than the insects
they were intended for. Synthetic chemical insecticides often contain ingredients that kill beneficial
insects. These insects may be bees that pollinate fruits and vegetables. They may be ladybugs or
butterflies, which are also helpful to have in a garden. A natural insecticide will probably leave
beneficial insects safe. Organic gardening is accomplished by avoiding the use of laboratory-made
fertilizers, growth substances, antibiotics, or pesticides. This means using nature's tools to grow your
plants, fruits, and vegetables. It's a way of being kinder to the earth. Using natural insecticides is a
part of that process and has grown in popularity. If done properly, it costs less. If you learn to grown
or produce your own insecticides, you're also aiding the eco- 4 system by not putting man-made
chemicals into the dirt and air. You can help reduce the negative effect on the ozone layer by doing
your part to help nature. In our modern technology today, you can look on the internet for the most
trusted and safest ways of making a Natural Insecticide. There are many alternatives in making a
natural insecticide, in our group, we have decided to use a Liquid soap recipe way of creating a
natural and organic insecticide. Soap sounds harmless enough. We wash our bodies with it, wash our
dishes with it, and blow bubbles with it. What you need are Spray bottles, Biodegradable liquid dish
soap, Lemon or orange essential oil, Cooking oil, Baking soda, Garlic, Chili powder, Water. It is as easy
as that! And it is cheaper than the synthetic ones.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The environmental impact of pesticides is often greater than what is intended by those who use
them. Over 98% of sprayed insecticides and 95% of herbicides reach a destination other than their
target species, including nontarget species, air, water, bottom sediments, and food. Though there can
be benefits using pesticides, inappropriate use can counterproductively increase pest resistance and
kill the natural enemies of pests. Pesticides can contaminate unintended land and water when they
are sprayed aerially or allowed to run off fields, or when they escape from production sites and
storage tanks or are inappropriately discarded.
Pesticides can contribute to air pollution. Pesticide drift occurs when pesticides suspended in the air
as particles are carried by wind to other areas, potentially contaminating them. Weather conditions at
the time of application as well as temperature and relative humidity change the spread of the
pesticide in the air. As wind velocity increases so does the spray drift and exposure. Also, droplets of
sprayed pesticides or particles from pesticides applied as dusts may travel on the wind to other areas,
or pesticides may adhere to particles that blow in the wind, such as dust particles. Ground spraying
produces less pesticide drift than aerial spraying does. Pesticides that are sprayed on to fields and
used to fumigate soil can give off chemicals called volatile organic compounds, which can react with
other chemicals and form a pollutant called tropospheric ozone. Tropospheric ozone is a greenhouse
gas and initiates the chemical removal of methane and other hydrocarbons from the atmosphere.
Pesticide residues have also been found in rain and groundwater. Studies showed that pesticide
concentrations exceeded those allowable for drinking water in some samples of river water and
groundwater. There are four major routes through which pesticides reach the water: it may drift
outside of the intended area when it is sprayed, it may percolate, or leach, through the soil, it may be
carried to the water as runoff, or it may be spilled, for example accidentally or through neglect. They
may also be carried to water by eroding soil. Factors that affect a pesticide's ability to contaminate
water include its water solubility, the distance from an application site to a body of water, weather,
soil type, presence of a growing crop, and the method used to apply the chemical. The use of
pesticides also decreases the general biodiversity in the soil. Many of the chemicals used in pesticides
are persistent soil contaminants, whose impact may endure for decades and adversely affect soil
conservation. Degradation and sorption are both factors which influence the persistence of pesticides
in soil. Depending on the chemical nature of the pesticide, such processes control directly the
transportation from soil to water, and in turn to air and our food.
In this project, we aim to help reduce and stop this poisoning to species, organisms and other
elements that are threatened including the risk of human health because of synthetic insecticides.

STATEMENT OF THE HYPOTHESIS

A hypothesis is an educated guess or proposition that attempts to explain a set of facts or natural
phenomenon. It is used mostly in the field of science, where the scientific method is used to test it.
In this experiment you will examine how biopesticides compare to a synthetic pesticide. The two
natural pesticides are a spray made from chili peppers and one made from garlic. These are
commonly used among gardeners as repellents. With chili, it is the hot chillies that make the most
effective repellent. Garlic's strong odor can also act as a repellent. With the synthetic insecticides,
look for one that works against general pests, such as aphids, caterpillars, beetles. Evidence of these
pests can be seen in the holes they bore or bits of leaves that they have munched. Aphids will leave a
sticky residue on the leaves. The synthetic pesticide product will better prevent pests from harming
the plants than the biopesticides.

Theoretical Framework/Conceptual
Safety defines much of the home life, and pesticides do an impeccable work of endangering it. With
the influx of insecticides and anti-pest products in the market today (and the easy access that comes
with the trade), exposure has just become a looming prospect. One fact of life is that apart from your
family, you’re sharing your home with a diverse array of pests: ants in the cupboard, wasps in your
sunroom, termites in the cabinets, or maybe bugs having their own little party in your garden.
Your first instinct, of course, is to run to the store and get the most effective pesticide out there.
But little do you know that the dangers of pesticides are much bigger than the ones you’re trying to
solve. These pesticides – 4.5 billion pounds of which are used annually as reported in 2001 – tend to
spread easily, stay suspended in the air, and 7 contaminate the areas in and out of your home,
adversely affecting your children, pets, and the lush plant life around you. (Dr. Mercola)
Through the arrangement of documented formulations of over 260 natural pesticides, we
discovered that the traditional knowledge applied in pest control is diverse and rich. Not only can it be
used to prevent various crop pests, it can also be used to prevent various diseases in livestock, poultry
and fish. Apart from producing the same effects as synthetic pesticides (contact killing, poisoning,
fumigation), it also has other unique effects (antifeedant effect, repellent effect, ovicidal, infertility,
etc.). For example, it interferes the growth of pests, causes prolonged larval stages, resulting in the
increase in adverse natural effects; it can reduce the ratio of pests; and it reduces the population of
insects over winter. (Xu Rui, Popular Science of Pest Control)
A number of studies conducted in the U.S. and abroad have shown that botanical pesticides, when
used properly, can be as effective as synthetic pesticides at killing a broad spectrum of pests both in
domestic and agricultural settings. Botanicals use essential oils from plants known to have natural
insecticidal properties, such as chrysanthemum, garlic, sweet flag and clove. Not only do these natural
avengers zap the bad bugs, they are also harmless to humans and the environment. (FoxNews.com)
Unlike synthetic options, biopesticides are naturally occurring products derived from materials like
plants and microorganisms (think bacteria and fungi). In most cases, biopesticides are less toxic than
conventional pesticides, making the food safer for people who eat it and those who grow it.
Biopesticides generally affect only the target pests, compared to broad spectrum, conventional
pesticides that may cause harm to birds, insects, mammals, and other organisms. They often 8
decompose quickly, and reduce the likelihood that pests and plant pathogens will develop resistance.
( Pam Marrone)

CHAPTER II
Related Literature and Studies
This research study cited articles which are relevant to the present investigation. It is composed of
related literature and studies both local and foreign, which contain facts and information on the
research problem at hand. It also provides explanations and logical connections between previous
researches and the present work.
Insecticides have been used for centuries to fight unwanted pests. There are several natural (plant)
insecticides that have been widely used, although compared with modern synthetics the plant
substances are relatively weak. One benefit of a plant insecticide is that many of them are
biodegradable. More than 1500 species of plants have been reported to have insecticidal value, and
many more exist, but two products, rotenone and pyrethrin, have been economically important.
Rotenone. Before World War I, agricultural nations were ignorant about the plants that contain
rotenone. Rotenone was a mysterious and an unidentified fish poison (barbasco) of the deep forests
of Sounth America were natives collected roots of a viney shrub, Lonchocarpus nicou, and threw the
crushed roots into small streams and pools. The chemical in the root stunned the fish and caused
them to float to the surface, where the fish were easily collected. Humans were not poisoned by
consuming rotenone, which is only toxic in very large doses. Use of rotenone as a fish poison became
widespread in the 20th century, and it was immortalized in 1954 when a boat captain just happened
to have a rotenone on board to stupefy a “monster” in Creature from the Black Lagoon.
The South American rotenone-bearing, leguminous plant is not known now from the wild.
Nowadays, Lonchocarpus is cultivated by hand labor in tropical regions of Brazil and Peru. In the Far
East, particularly in Java and Sumatra, a closely related legume, Derris elliptica, which also contains
rotenone, was used as an arrow poison. Derris, which has been grown commercially in Puerto Rico,
has 10 lower yields of rotenone than does Lonchocarpus. Rotenone also occurs in the legume genus
Tephrosia.
Rotenone is found in resin ducts, which occur in the phloem and xylem. The root is dried to 20%
moisture content and then shipped to buyer countries. Rotenone is a terpene; it was applied as a
spray on fruits and row crops, even several times before harvest time, because the chemical residue
do not linger. It is a potentially lethal toxin for aphids, cockroaches, houseflies, corn borers, Mexican
bean beetles and mosquitoes.
Pyrethrin. Pyrethrin comes from a perennial daisy of the genus Chrysanthemum(not the cultivated
mum). The biologically active chemicals are esters, which occur in the flower heads. Action of a
Pyrethrin is a contact poison, which paralyzes the insect victim, usually with 90 seconds. Normally the
poison is administered in emulsion or dust form; as a dust it can be used as a diatomaceous earth. The
primary physiological reaction of the toxin is that ventral vagus ganglion shows vacoulization. Acute
toxicity in mammals is relatively low, because the pyrethrin esters are converted in the stomach into
nontoxic compounds.
Green Pesticdes. Green pesticides, also called ecological pesticides, are pesticides derived from
organic sources which are considered environmentally friendly and causing less harm to human and
animal health, and to habitats and the ecosystem.
In agroecology, pesticides are evaluated for minimal adverse environmental effects. Biocides include
germicides, antibiotics, antibacteriaIs, antivirals, antifungals, antiprotozoals and antiparasites.
Pesticides typically come in the form of sprays and dusts.
The use of insecticides is believed to be one of the major factors behind the increase in agricultural
productivity in the 20th century. The classification of insecticides is done in several different ways.
These includes: Systemic 11 insecticides, Contact insecticides, Natural insecticides, Plant-Incorporated
Protectants(PIPs), Inorganic insecticides, Organic Insecticides, Mode of action.
Systemic insecticides are incorporated by treated plants. Insects ingest the insecticide while feeding
on the plants. These are absorbed by plants or animals and move to untreated tissues. Systemic or
translocated herbicides move within the plant to untreated areas of leaves, stems or roots. They may
kill weeds with only partial spray coverage. Systemic insecticides or fungicides move throughout
treated plants and kill certain insects or fungi. Some systemic insecticides are applied to animals and
move through the animal to control pests such as warble grubs, lice, or fleas. Some pesticides only
move in one direction within the plant, either up or down. Knowing what direction the pesticide
moves will help guide your decisions. For example some insecticides only move upwards in plants. If
applied to the root zone, it will travel throughout the plant, but if applied to the leaves it will not
move throughout the plant. Some pesticides are considered locally systemic. These will only move a
short distance in a plant from the point of contact.
Contact insecticides are toxic to insects brought into direct contact. Efficacy is often related to the
quality of pesticide application, with small droplets (such as aerosols) often improving performance.
Insects are killed when sprayed directly or when they crawl across surfaces treated with a residual
contact insecticide. Weed foliage is killed when enough surface area is covered with a contact
herbicide. Natural insecticides, such as nicotine, pyrethrum and neem extracts are made by plants as
defenses against insects.
Nicotine-based insecticides are still being widely used in the US and Canada though they are barred
in the EU. Natural pesticides are pesticides that are made by other organisms usually for their own
defense, or are derived from a natural source such as a mineral. Most people believe that natural
pesticides are safer and more eco-friendly than man-made pesticides and while this is mostly true it is
not always so. For example, nicotine is a natural pesticide in tobacco leaves, and the highly addictive
component of cigarette smoke, but is in fact much more toxic than most modern synthetic pesticides.
Plant-incorporated protectants (PIPs) are insecticidal substances produced by plants after genetic
modification. [4] For instance, a gene that codes for a specific Baccilus thuringiensis biocidal protein is
introduced into a crop plant's genetic material. Then, the plant manufactures the protein. Since the
biocide is incorporated into the plant, additional applications, at least of the same compound, are not
required.
Inorganic insecticides are manufactured with metals and include arsenates, copper compounds and
fluorine compounds, which are now seldom used, and sulfur, which is commonly used. Inorganic
insecticides are made of mineral origin, mainly compounds of antimony, arsenic, barium, boron,
copper, fluorine, mercury, selenium, sulfur, thallium, and zinc, and elemental phosphorus and sulfur.
It is sometimes used as the toxic agent in ant poisons and for the control of thrips. Organic
insecticides are synthetic chemicals which comprise the largest numbers of pesticides available for
use today. An organic insecticide is a pesticide that uses only natural components to kill bugs. In many
cases, organic materials used to repel insects are also called organic insecticides. This is not a true
insecticide, but rather a repellent. Organic insecticides can be made from a number of different
materials, but what many people most appreciate about them is that they are a relatively safe form of
pest control in most cases. It is possible to make an organic insecticide from a number of different
substances. It is also possible to buy them commercially. It should be noted that many organic
insecticides are meant to only target a certain species or a few different species. Therefore, those
who have a variety of insect species they wish to treat will likely need more than one type of organic
insecticide. Mode of action—how the pesticide kills or inactivates a pest—is another way of
classifying insecticides. Mode of action is important in predicting whether an insecticide will be toxic
to unrelated species, such as fish, birds and mammals.
Although the pesticides and particularly insecticides used in organic farming and organic gardening
are generally safer than synthetic pesticides, they are not always more safe or environmentally
friendly than synthetic pesticides, both can cause harm. The main criterion for organic pesticides is
that they are naturally derived, and some naturally derived substances have been controversial.
Controversial natural pesticides include rotenone, copper, nicotine sulfate, and pyrethrums. However,
restrictions on natural pesticides have tightened and as of 2005 rotenone, a dangerous natural
pesticide, was not allowed for US organic farmers, and rotenone was not allowed under the California
Organic Foods Act of 1990. Phytoalexin elicitor glucohexatose has been called a green pesticide, as
has a new class of insecticides called spinosad which shows "remarkable selectivity" in destroying
harmful pests and leaving beneficial insects alive.
CHAPTER III
Methodology
Oh those pesky bugs! If you are a gardener, you know how difficult it can be to deal with the insects
that love to eat your plants. And what about the environment? Most of us know that traditional
chemical pesticides (or insecticides) are unhealthy for us and the planet, but are generally a widely
used tool to combat garden pests. There are some easy and inexpensive natural pesticides you can
make at home to help you win the battle of the bugs and be eco-friendly. Here are a few ideas to use
in your own home and garden.

Materials
Pepper (Hottest of its kind)
Liquid Soap
Water
Others
Blender Strainer
Empty Container
Procedure
1.) Liquid soap is a great alternative to toxic chemicals for both indoor and outdoor plants.
2.) Mix 2 tablespoons of liquid soap or dishwashing liquid with 1 quart water, and pour into a spray
bottle. Most indoor household plants tolerate this natural pesticide well. Spray leaves, stem and
topsoil to deter insects from coming back. Aphids, mealybugs, whiteflies and mites are all affected by
this soap remedy.
3.) Prepare your blender.
4.) Pour at least two glass of water on the blender.
5.) Add two tablespoons of liquid soap.
6.) Add at least five cut pepper. (Depends on the size of your pepper, but the spicier, the better.)
7.) Pepper and garlic are both natural insect repellents and will help to repel Japanese Beetles, borers,
leafhoppers and slugs. Garlic also deters larger pest like deer and rabbit.
8.) Start to blend.
9.) Prepare your container and strainer.
10.) Filter all the solid particles from the liquid.
11.) Put your liquid product on your prepared container.
12.) Seal your product.
How To Test
A.
1.1. Prepare two plants with the same characteristics.
1.2. Spray one plant with a synthetic insecticide and one plant with the created natural insecticide.
1.3 Observe the two plants for one or two weeks and record your observations.
1.4 Write down your conclusion.

Week 1/Day 1
OBSERVATIONS
Plant A
Plant B

B.
2.1 Prepare at least two insects (e.g. spiders, cockroaches) for your
experiment.
2.2 Spray one insecticide on the first insect and one on the second insect.
2.3 Observe what happened to your insects.
2.4 Record what you have observe.
2.5 Come up with a conclusion.
REFERENCES
Dr. Mercola’s Research Xu Rui’s Study Pam Marrone Article
http://www.onearth.org/blog/natural-pesticides-large-scale-farmers-turn-to-saferproducts-to-keep-
their-plants-healthy http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517766,00.html
http://www.mercola.com http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_pesticide
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insecticide
http://www.botgard.ucla.edu/html/botanytextbooks/economicbotany/Insecticides/in dex.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/497135-discovery-of-the-natural-healthbenefits-of-black-pepper/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_pesticides http://science-in-
farming.library4farming.org/Insects_2/Insecticides/InorganicInsecticides.html
http://www.wisegeek.com http://www.livingwithbugs.com http://www.arbico-organics.com
http://www.brighthub.com Dr. Mercola’s Research Xu Rui’s Study Pam Marrone Article