EVALUATION OF SOME PLANT ESSENTIAL OILS AGAINST THE BLACK CUTWORM AGROTIS IPSILON

Author's Name: Aziza Sharaby and Asma El-Nojiban
Subject Area: Life Sciences
Subject Agricultural
Section Research Paper

Keyword:

Agrotis ipsilon, Essential oils, Garlic (Illium sativum)., Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)., Carawaya (Carum carvi)., Cumin (Cuminum cyminum)., Mint( Mentha piperita.)


Abstract

The black cutworm, A.ipsilon (Lepidoptera: Noctudae) is one of the most destructive insect pest attacking different field crops. The effect of different concentrations of some natural plant essential oils were evaluated on third larval instars’ of the insect. The results clearly demonstrated that the tested oils( Garlic, Mint, Cumin, Caraway and Parsley) had a stomach and contact toxicity through the larval feeding on treated diet, also all the tested oils exhibited antifeedant and starvation effects. The LC50 of different oils varied from one to other on the different stages (eggs- larvae- pupae) the best treatment among all the tested oils was Garlic oil with LC50 ranged from 0.006 – 0.019%, it was more toxic as contact than stomach poison. The combination of the oils exhibited potentiating effect between them and increasing their toxicity. The promising toxic mixture was( Garlic + Mint). The sub lethal concentrations of the tested oils achieved remarkable significant increase in larval and pupal duration with retardation in their development and increase percentage of mortality, decrease in larval and pupal weight, increase in the percent of malformation for both the resulting pupae and adults. From this point of view, and so could be recommending usage of the mentioned plant essential oils for controlling the black cutworm on their hosts by spraying it as emulsion or as a toxic baits alternatives to chemical pesticides, it can also mixing oils in the mentioned concentrations range for increasing their toxicity and decreasing insect resistant buildup as a biological control method throughout the integrated pest control program

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