Effect of surfactants on persistence of azadirachtin-A (neem based pesticide)

Photostability of azadirachtin-A, a neem based pesticide, was studied in the presence of non-ionic surfactants. Surfactants such as Span-80, Atlox 3400B, Tween-80, Agrimul 52B, and Agrimul N4S enhanced the rate of photodegradation of azadirachtin-A, whereas surfactants such as Triton-X, Emulsol CFA, Tween-20, Emulsol MAS, and Emulsol-N-33 decreased the rate of degradation. Emulsol-N-33 was found to be the most effective surfactant, as half life of azadirachin-A in the presence of Emulsol-N-33 was found to be 94.93 min in comparison to 48 min for azadirachtin-A alone under UV light.