INSECTICIDAL ACTIVITY OF ESSENTIAL OIL OF Chenopodium ambrosioides L. AGAINST Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky
Julia Aros1, Gonzalo Silva-Aguayo1*, Susana Fischer1, Inés Figueroa1, J. Concepción Rodríguez- Maciel2, Angel Lagunes-Tejeda2, Gloria S. Castañeda-Ramírez3, y Liliana Aguilar Marcelino3
ABSTRACT
Sitophilus zeamais is one of the major pests of stored cereals worldwide and its control is based on the use of synthetic insecticides, but their irrational use has caused environmental pollution and resistance. Essential oils have shown contact and fumigant insecticidal effect and could be an alternative to synthetic compounds. Hence, the insecticidal properties of essential oil of Chenopodium ambrosioides L. were assessed under laboratory conditions against adults of Sitophilus. zeamais. The variables studied were contact and fumigant toxicity, and antifeedant and repellent activity. Mortality by contact toxicity did not exceed 30% in all the treatments evaluated. The highest F1 reduction was observed in the treatment of 4.0% with 41.3% of emergence (58.7% of inhibition). Grain weight loss was lower than 9.0% and maize germination was not affected. All treatments exhibited fumigant activity, while concentrations equal to or lower than 0.5% showed repellent and feeding deterrent effect. It can be concluded that essential oil of Ch. ambrosioides has potential for S. zeamais control.
Key words: Maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais, stored grains, Mexican tea, Chenopodium ambrosioides, botanical insecticides.
1 Departamento de Producción Vegetal, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Concepción, Vicente Méndez 595, Chillán, Chile.
2 Programa de Entomología y Acarología, Colegio de Postgraduados, Km 36,5 Carretera Federal, México-Texcoco, Montecillo, Estado de México, México.
3 Centro Nacional de Investigación Disciplinaria en Salud Animal e Inocuidad, INIFAP, Km 11 Carretera Federal Cuernavaca-Cuautla, Jiutepec, Estado de Morelos, México.
* Autor para correspondencia E-mail: [email protected]