Citation: Geetanjly, Tiwari SN. Evaluation of Four Essential Oils against Angoumois Grain Moth, Sitotroga Cerealella (Olivier). J Plant Sci Res. 2015;2(2): 127.

Abstract

Effect of four essential oils of Cinnamomum camphora (L.) J. Presl, Cymbopogon flexuosus (Nees ex Steud.) J.F. Watson, Ageratum conyzoides L.and Ocimum gratissimum L. was investigated against Sitotroga cerealella (Oliver). Oil of C. camphora was found highly effective at 0.20, 0.10, 0.05 percentconcentration (v/w), however C. flexuosus and O. gratissimum were effective only at higher concentration of 0.20, 0.10% (v/w). Essential oil of A. conyzoideswas not much effective against S. cerealellaat all concentrations tested. The efficacy of essential oils increased with the increase in dose.

Introduction

The Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier)(Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is a major pest of cereals, especially rice,wheat, barley, maize and sorghum under storage condition [1-7].Although, its infestation may start from the field, severe damage iscaused under storage conditions [8] leading to extensive qualitative aswell as quantitative loss [9]. The management of this pest is basicallydependent on use of organophosphates such as phoxim, malathion,methacrifos, tetrachlorvinphos, pirimiphos methyl, fenitrothion,fenthion and dichlorvos [10-14] pyrethroids such as fenvalerate,cyfluthrin, deltamethrin and permethrin [15] or fumigation withaluminium phosphide and methyl bromide [16]. However, frequentuse of insecticides or fumigants have resulted in the developmentof resistance, environmental and food contamination and toxicityto non-target organisms [17] and in many countries they are not permitted to be used without technical supervision. In view of theselimitations a necessity is being felt since long to develop effective, safe and economical non-chemical alternative for controlling insect pestsunder storage condition. Among the available options, essential oilsand their constituents have been found to have potential for replacingthe chemicals in short and medium small scale storage [18-27].Essential oils are complex mixtures of volatile organic compoundsproduced as secondary metabolites in plants. They contain mainlyhydrocarbons (terpenes and sesquiterpenes) and oxygenatedcompounds (alcohols, esters, ethers, aldehydes, ketones, lactones,phenols and phenol ethers) [28]. Most of these compounds have beenreported to possess fumigant toxicity against stored grain pests [29-34]. In the present investigation an attempt has been made to studythe effect of essential oils of Cinnamomum camphora, Cymbopogonflexuosus, Ageratum conyzoides and Ocimum gratissimum against S.cerealella.

Materials and Methods

Insect culture

Pure culture of test insect (S. cerealella) was developed in thePost-Harvest Entomology Laboratory of Department of Entomology,G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar,Udham Singh Nagar at 27+1 °C temperature and 70+5% relativehumidity. Adults used for this study were reared on the grain ofwheat variety PBW-343after disinfestation in the oven at 60 °C for12 h. The moisture content of disinfested grain was raised to 13.5%by mixing water in the grain. The quantity of water required to raisethe moisture content was calculated by using following formula asdescribed by Pixton [35].

W1 = Initial weight of grain

M1 = Initial moisture content

M2 = Final moisture content

After mixing the water in the grain it was kept in closed polythenebags for a week so that moisture content of the grain could equilibrate.The grain was then filled in plastic jars (2 kg capacity) the mouth ofwhich was covered with muslin cloth.Approximately 50 adults werereleased in each jar after which it was kept in control room. Firstgeneration adults (0-3 days old) were used for experimental purpose.

Extraction of essential oils

Fresh plant leaf of experimental plants were collected fromMedicinal Research and Development Center, GBPUA&T Pantnagar.Semi-dried plant material (leaf) was subjected to steam distillation toobtain the essential oils. The distillation process was carried out usinga Clevenger Apparatus [36]. Anhydrous sodium sulphate was usedto remove trace of moisture from essential oil and stored in air tightcontainer in a refrigerator at 4 °C [Table 1].

Table 1: Detail of plants evaluated against Sitotroga cerelella.

Experimental details

The experiment was conducted under controlled conditions at27+1 °C temperature and 70+5% relative humidity in the plastic vials(10×4cm). The study was made two times to confirm the efficacy ofoils. Fifty gram wheat grain (moisture content 13.5%) filled in plasticvials was treated with essential oils at the rate of 0.20, 0.10, 0.05, 0.025 and 0.012% concentration (v/w). Measured quantity of oil was pouredon the absorbing paper mat, which was then inserted in the grain.After releasing 10 adults of test insect in each vial, its screw cap wasclosed tightly and made completely airtight by sealing with parafilmstrip. Each treatment was replicated thrice. Untreated grain was usedas control. Insects were then allowed to complete one generation afterwhich observation was recorded on F1 progeny by counting adultsemerged in each vial. The emerging adults were counted thrice andtheir sum was used to calculate the number of adults emerged in eachvial. The efficacy of oils was classified in different categories on thebasis of F1 progeny production. Treatments inhibiting more than90% F1 progeny were classified as highly effective while inhibitionof 80-89 and 70-79% were ranked as moderately and less effective,respectively. Similarly, essential oil concentrations suppressing lessthan 70% F1 progeny were ranked as least effective.

Statistical Analysis

Data was analyzed in Completely Randomized Design afterSquare root (X+0.5) transformation. Data processing was conductedin STPR 3 program.

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Results and Discussion

The study revealed that all the essential oils suppressed thedevelopment of the S. cerealella; however, the level of inhibitionwas highly correlated with the dose [Table 2]. The essential oil ofC.camphora was most effective as it completely checked the F1progeny of S. cerealella at 0.20, 0.10 and 0.05% while 88.06 and 82.52%inhibition was obtained at 0.025 and 0.012%, respectively.

Table 2: Effect of different essential oils on the development of S. cerealella.

The essential oil of C. flexuosus inhibited 100 percent progenyof test insect at 0.20 and 0.10% during 1st and 2nd test, however, its efficacy declined significantly at lower dosages. This oil has alsobeen reported to be effective against Tribolium castaneum [37,38].In another study essential oil of Cymbopogon martini was toxic toOryzaephilus surinamensis (L.) with LC50 values of 37.2 mL/L air[39].

The development of S. cerealella was not much affected by theessential oil of A. conyzoides which suppressed only 77.08% progenyproduction even at its highest concentration of 0.20 percent whichdecreased further to 58.35 and 37.35% at 0.10 and 0.05%, respectively.However, in a contact toxicity bioassay the adults of C. maculatuswere susceptible to this oil, where LC50’s ranged between 37.1 to110.8 ml/cm2 after treatment for 96 h. In another test LC50’s rangedfrom 71.6 to 161.9 ml/l air and 19.2 to 77.8 ml/l air against eggs andadults, respectively [40].

The essential oil of O. gratissimum was also highly effective againstS. cerealella as it suppressed 100 % progeny of this insect at 0.20 and0.10% concentration. However, the oil was not much effective atlower dosages. Ngamo et al. [41] observed that oil of O. gratissimumcaused 74% adult mortality against Sitophilus zeamais within 4 daysof ingestion. In another study Ogendo et al. [42] reported that oilof O.gratissimum caused 98, 99 and 100 percent mortality of R.dominica, O. surinamensis (L.) and C. chinensis, respectively, at 1micro L/L air, while T. castaneum was tolerant.

The study revealed that essential oil of C.camphora wasmost effective against S. cerealella as it completely suppressedthe development of this insect even at 0.05 percent. In case of C.flexuosus and O. gratissimum such high efficacy was found at 0.10%.As compared to these essential oils, low efficacy was observed in A.conyzoides [Figure 1].

Figure 1: Inhibiton (%) of S. cerealella at different concentrations of essentialoils.

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