Role of Emulsifiers in Plant Oil Emulsion Stability, Degradability and Biological Activity

Emulsifiers are important important ingredients of emulsifiable concentrate (EC) formulation of pesticides which mainly impart stability to the spray emulsion. The possibility of developing formulated products of plant oils (which will be relatively stable and biologically active against brinjal root rot pathogen Macrophornma phaseolina (Tassi)Goid) has been explored with the combinations of four plant oils and three emulsifiers. Freshly prepared homogeneous O/W emulsions showing different degree of stability and degradability when kept in laboratory conditions for a considerable period of time have been studied. Biological activity towards M pheseolina was found to vary in different plant oil emulsions, while remaining active on prolonged storage.