Screening of Plant Powders Against Rice Weevil (Sitophilus oryzae L.)

Author: Sanskriti B. Maurya, M. Raghuraman and Ranjeet Kumar

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Abstract

Sitophilus oryzae commonly known as the rice weevil, (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is a significant threat to stored cereals in India and other regions. On average 10% of overall losses of food commodities are caused by stored grain insect pests. In this study, we examined the insecticidal activity of different plant powders against adult emergence and percent inhibition of rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae. The insecticidal performance of botanical powders made from leaves of certain plants: Lantana camara Curcuma longa, Callistemon citrinus, Melia azadirechta, Azadirechta indica, Murrya koenigii, Eucalyptus citriodora, Ocimum sanctum, Ageratum conyzoides, Chenopodium album, Trigonella foenum, Andrographis peniculata, Allium sativum and Jatropha curcas at rates of 5, 7, 10, and 12 g /kg wheat grains were evaluated against Sitophilus oryzae. Among the different treatments applied, M. koenigii, E. citrodora, O. sanctum, A. conozoides, C. album, T. foenum, A. peniculata, and A. sativum stood out in their effectiveness against S. oryzae. At all doses (5, 7, 10, and 12 g/kg), these treatments ensured no adult population buildup and consistently recorded cent percent inhibition in both sets of tests followed by J. curcas leaf powder. Other treatments resulted in no emergence of S. oryzae adults and complete inhibition at doses of 10 and 12 g/kg, while at 5g/kg C. citranus showed maximum adult emergence and the least percent inhibition, thus recorded as the least effective among all the treatments. They are effective in managing the tested insect population. It is environmentally safe and does not affect human health

Keywords

Stored grain pest, plant powders, Sitophilus oryzae adult emergence, percent inhibition.

Conclusion

Stored grain pests pose a significant and serious issue by causing extensive damage to stored grains. Sitophilus oryzae L., as a primary pest, can result in severe grain losses. Currently, there are limited widely adopted practices for pest management, with only a small number of chemical options being used, such as aluminum phosphide tablets. These chemicals not only harm the environment but also pose health risks to humans. The Plant Powders used as treatment are Lantana camara Curcuma longa, Callistemon citrinus, Melia azadirechta, Azadirechta indica, Murrya koenigii, Eucalyptus citriodora, Ocimum sanctum, Ageratum conyzoides, Chenopodium album, Trigonella foenum, Andrographis peniculata, Allium sativum, Jatropha curcas, and untreated wheat seed as a control. Among the different treatments applied, M. koenigii, E. citriodora, O. sanctum, A. conozoides, C. album, T. foenum, A. peniculata, and A. sativum stood out in their effectiveness against S. oryzae. At all doses (5, 7, 10, and 12 g/kg), these treatments ensured no adult population buildup and consistently recorded cent percent inhibition in both sets of tests followed by J. curcas leaf powder. Other treatments resulted in no emergence of S. oryzae adults and complete inhibition at doses of 10 and 12 g/kg, while at 5g/kg C. citranus showed maximum adult emergence and the least percent inhibition, thus recorded as the least effective among all the treatments

References

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How to cite this article

Sanskriti B. Maurya, M. Raghuraman and Ranjeet Kumar (2024). Screening of Plant Powders Against Rice Weevil (Sitophilus oryzae L.). Biological Forum – An International Journal, 16(5): 118-121.