Field application of wild thyme extract Thymus serpyllum for controlling land snails Monacha cartusiana (Gastropoda: Hygromiidae)

Abstract

One of the available and the safer medicinal and aromatic plants is Thymus serpyllum. Like most natural compounds of plant origin. Thyme oil extract was used in this research paper as a potential alternative in controlling the land snail Monacha cartusiana (O. F. Müller) (Gastropoda: Hygromiidae). The volatile oil of T. serpyllum was obtained via steam distillation and analyzed using the GC/MS technique; the monoterpenoid alcohol; thymol compound was separated by chromatographic technique, and its structure was elucidated using ¹H-NMR, in addition to testing thyme extract in open field conditions, which gave an acceptable percentage population reduction of 66.58 and 51.22 when compared to the recommended pesticide, neomyl, which poses 75.76 and 59.74 for the residual and the mean population reduction percentage, respectively. The results obtained can be largely relied upon in terms of using thyme extracts extensively in the control process of land snails in general, especially since these compounds are safe and environmentally friendly and their results are respectable when applied in field conditions.