PLANT-DERIVED ECO-FRIENDLY ORGANIC EXTRACTS FOR TETRANYCHID MITE SUPPRESSION AND YIELD ENHANCEMENT IN YARD-LONG BEAN

The experiment was conducted at the Horticulture Farm, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh during the period from April 2025 to September 2025 to evaluate the effect of neem oil, garlic–chili, and aloe vera-based organic sprays on Tetranychid mite suppression and yield performance of yard-long bean (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis). The experiment consisted of four treatments namely; T₁: Neem oil (5 ml/L + 1 tbsp soap/L); T₂: Garlic–chili extract (10 garlic cloves + 5 g chili powder/L); T₃: Aloe vera + soap solution (2 tbsp gel + 1 tbsp soap/L); and T₄: Control (water spray). The single factor experiment was laid out in a Randomized Completely Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Significant variation of growth, yield, and mite infestation was found among the treatments. The results showed that T₃ (Aloe vera + soap solution) and T₂ (Garlic–chili extract) more prominently enhanced vegetative growth, SPAD value, and yield attributes. Among all the parameters of growth and yield performance, the tallest plant (212 cm) and maximum leaf number (19.0) were observed in T₁ (Neem oil) at 55 DAS, maximum branch number (8) was observed in T₂ (Garlic–chili extract) at 55 DAS, maximum SPAD value (86.8), maximum leaf area (247.5 cm²), highest single pod weight (21.3 g), maximum pod number (60.7), maximum yield/plant (1266 g), maximum yield/plot (31.9 kg) and maximum calculated yield/ha (84.7 t/ha) were found in T₃ (Aloe vera + soap solution). While shortest plant (25.0 cm), minimum leaf number (6.0), minimum branch number (1.0), minimum SPAD value (42.3), minimum leaf area (123.5 cm²), minimum single pod weight (8.7 g), minimum pod number (21.3), minimum yield/plant (128.3 g), lowest yield/plot (3.4 kg), lowest yield/ha (9.6 t/ha) with the highest mite infestation score (5) was found in T₄ (Control). Therefore, it can be concluded that T₃ (Aloe vera + soap solution) is an effective organic spray that has the potential to suppress mites, improve plant health, and significantly increase the yield of yard-long bean.