Persistence and efficacy of enhanced diatomaceous earth, imidacloprid, and Beauveria bassiana against three coleopteran and one psocid stored-grain insects

Author(s):  
Waqas Wakil ◽  
Thomas Schmitt ◽  
Nickolas G. Kavallieratos
Author(s):  
Yacoub Ahmad Batta

The present research is aimed at a formulation of the entomopathogenic fungi, Beauveria bassiana (Bal.) Vuillemin and Metarhizium anisopliae (Metch.) Sorokin, in two types of diatomaceous earth dusts, fossil shield and Silico-Sec, are then applied against the adults of three species of stored-grain insects: Sitophilus oryzae L., Rhyzopertha dominica Fab. and Tribolium castaneum Herbs. Effect of the treatment was assessed by comparing the mortality percentage of the adults of the three insect species exposed to the formulated fungi with that of the adults exposed to the unformulated fungi or the diatomaceous earth dusts or the undisturbed control. Results obtained from these exposures have indicated that treatment of the adults with the formulated fungi resulted in a significantly higher mean mortality percentage compared to the treatment with the unformulated fungi or the diatomaceous earth dusts or the undisturbed control. A synergistic interaction between the effect of fungal species and the diatomaceous earth dusts was shown. Viability of conidia of both fungal species in diatomaceous earth dusts was assessed by calculating the germination percentage of the conidia over time. Results indicated a small loss of mean germination percentage for formulated conidia of both fungal species versus a high loss of mean germination percentage for the unformulated conidia, thus the diatomaceous earth dusts used in the formulation of both fungi demonstrated a negligible effect on the viability of formulated conidia compared to the unformulated.


2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (04) ◽  
pp. 243-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Adarkwah ◽  
Daniel Obeng-Ofori ◽  
Vanessa Hörmann ◽  
Christian Ulrichs ◽  
Matthias Schöller

Abstract Food losses caused by insects during postharvest storage are of paramount economic importance worldwide, especially in Africa. Laboratory bioassays were conducted in stored grains to determine the toxicity of powders of Eugenia aromatica and Moringa oleifera alone or combined with enhanced diatomaceous earth (Probe-A® DE, 89.0% SiO2 and 5% silica aerogel) to adult Sitophilus granarius, Tribolium castaneum and Acanthoscelides obtectus. Adult mortality was observed up to 7 days, while progeny production was recorded at 6–10 weeks. LD50 and LT50 values for adult test insects exposed to plant powders and DE, showed that A. obtectus was the most susceptible towards the botanicals (LD50 0.179% and 0.088% wt/wt for E. aromatica and M. oleifera, respectively), followed by S. granarius. Tribolium castaneum was most tolerant (LD50 1.42% wt/wt and 1.40% wt/wt for E. aromatica and M. oleifera, respectively). The combined mixture of plant powders and DE controlled the beetles faster compared to the plant powders alone. LT50 ranged from 55.7 h to 62.5 h for T. castaneum exposed to 1.0% M. oleifera and 1.0% DE, and 0.5% E. aromatica and 1.0% DE, respectively. Botanicals caused significant reduction of F1 adults compared to the control. Combined action of botanical insecticides with DE as a grain protectant in an integrated pest management approach is discussed.


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