Pesticidal and pest repellency activities of rhizomes of Drynaria quercifolia (J. Smith) against Tribolium castaneum (Herbst)

Background

Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) is a harmful pest of stored grain and flour-based products in tropical and subtropical region. In the present study, rhizome of Drynaria quercifolia (J. Smith) was evaluated for pesticidal and pest repellency activities against T. castaneum, using surface film method and filter paper disc method, respectively. In addition, activity of the isolated compound 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid was evaluated against the pest.

Results

Chloroform soluble fraction of ethanol extract of rhizome of D. quercifolia showed significant pesticidal activity at doses 0.88 to 1.77 mg/cm² and significant pest repellency activity at doses 0.94 to 0.23 mg/cm². No pesticidal and pest repellency activity was found for petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and methanol soluble fractions of ethanol extract as well as for 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid.

Conclusion

Considering our findings it can be concluded that chloroform soluble fraction of rhizome of D. quercifolia is useful in controlling T. castaneum of stored grain and flour-based products.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/0717-6287-47-51) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Behavioural responses of Oryzaephilus surinamensis, Tribolium castaneum and Tribolium confusum to naturally and artificially damaged durum wheat kernels

Observations on behavioural activity involved in the host selection by secondary pests of stored grains, Oryzaephilus surinamensis (Linnaeus), Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) and Tribolium confusum J. du Val, with respect to intact and mechanically or naturally damaged kernels are reported. Our results indicate that the attraction of secondary pests is facilitated by broken grain kernels, which resulted from either mechanical damage during harvesting and/or binning procedures, or the feeding activity of primary insect pests. Insect damaged kernels were more attractive to O. surinamensis, T. castaneum and T. confusum than whole kernels; in addition insect damaged kernels elicit more attractiveness than mechanically split kernels. The damage caused by primary pests, such as Rhyzopertha dominica (Fabricius) and Sitophilus oryzae (Linnaeus), on whole kernels may facilitate colonization by secondary pests, which continue damaging the cereals. O. surinamensis, T. castaneum and T. confusum utilize the grain volatile odours to distinguish whether the grain kernels of the stored cereals are damaged mechanically or by insects.     

Management of Sitotroga cerealella in stored cereal grains: a review

The economic loss due to pest attack in stored commodities is a serious problem worldwide. About 200 insect species attack stored commodities. These insect pests are responsible for quantitative and qualitative losses in cereal grains. Among the stored grain pests, Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella is considered as common, top of the list and most destructive pest of cereal grains. Its infestation starts in the standing crop and continues in storage. Although there are many control strategies, our need is some effective, cheap and readily available strategy for safe storage. This review presents different ways by which S. cerealella can be controlled. In this paper, a list of approaches is given which are used to improve the protection of stored grains against S. cerealella attack. These approaches include use of edible oils, containers, synthetic chemicals, agricultural waste materials, plant derivatives, bacterial protoxins, biopesticides, biocontrol enhancers and semiochemicals. If these tactics are followed as combined strategies in a compatible manner, they can provide us an integrated pest management programme for the efficient control of S. cerealella in cereal grains.     

Phosphine resistance in India is characterised by a dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase variant that is otherwise unobserved in eukaryotes

Phosphine (PH₃) fumigation is the primary method worldwide for controlling insect pests of stored commodities. Over-reliance on phosphine, however, has led to the emergence of strong resistance. Detailed genetic studies previously identified two loci, rph1 and rph2, that interact synergistically to create a strong resistance phenotype. We compared the genetics of phosphine resistance in strains of Rhyzopertha dominica and Tribolium castaneum from India and Australia, countries having similar pest species but widely differing in pest management practices. Sequencing analysis of the rph2 locus, dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (dld), identified two structurally equivalent variants, Proline49>Serine (P49S) in one R. dominica strain and P45S in three strains of T. castaneum from India. These variants of the DLD protein likely affect FAD cofactor interaction with the enzyme. A survey of insects from storage facilities across southern India revealed that the P45/49S variant is distributed throughout the region at very high frequencies, in up to 94% of R. dominica and 97% of T. castaneum in the state of Tamil Nadu. The abundance of the P45/49S variant in insect populations contrasted sharply with the evolutionary record in which the variant was absent from eukaryotic DLD sequences. This suggests that the variant is unlikely to provide a strong selective advantage in the absence of phosphine fumigation.     

Low temperature shock and chill-coma consequences for the red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum) and the rice weevil (Sitophilus oryzae)

Insects face several (environmental) abiotic stressors, including low temperature, which cause the failure of neuromuscular function. Such exposure leads insects toa reversible comatose state termed chill-coma, but the consequences of this state for the organism biology were little explored. Here, the consequences of the chill-coma phase were investigated in two of the main stored product pest species – the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum (larvae and adults) and the rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae (adults). For this purpose, a series of low-temperature shocks were used to estimate the chill-coma recovery time (CCRT), survival, nutrition and weight gain/growth of T. castaneum (larvae and adults) and S. oryzae, as well as the development of T. castaneum life stages. The relatively long CCRT was characteristic of beetle larvae, at different low-temperature shocks, and CCRT increased with decreasing temperatures and increasing exposure intervals for both pest species. The survival was little affected by the low-temperature shocks applied, but such shocks affected insect feeding and growth. Tribolium castaneum larvae was more sensitive than adults of both insect species. Moreover, the relative consumption and weight gain of S. oryzae adults were lower than those of T. castaneum adults and mainly larvae, while feeding deterrence was not affected by low temperature shocks, unlike food conversion efficiency. Low-temperature shocks, even under short duration at some temperatures, significantly delayed development. The lower the temperature and the higher the exposure period, the more delayed the development. Thus, the physiological costs of chill-coma are translated into life-history consequences, with potential implications for the management of this insect pest species in stored products and even more so on red flour beetles and rice weevils.     

Response of Tribolium castaneum and Rhyzopertha dominica to various resources,near and far from grain storage

Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) and Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) are common cosmopolitan pests of stored grain and grain products. We evaluated the relative attraction of T. castaneum and R. dominica to wheat, sorghum and cotton seeds in the field, near grain storage facilities and well away from storages in southern and central Queensland using multiple trapping techniques. The results show that T. castaneum is more strongly attracted to linted cotton seed relative to wheat, whereas R. dominica did not respond to cotton seed at all and was attracted only to wheat. Significantly more adults of T. castaneum (10–15 times) were attracted to traps placed on the ground, near grain storage, than to equivalent traps that were suspended (1.5 m above the ground) nearby. These results suggest that Tribolium beetles detect and respond to resources towards the end of their dispersal flight, after which they localize resources while walking. By contrast R. dominica was captured only in suspended traps, which suggests they fly directly onto resources as they localize them. The ability of both species to colonize and reproduce in isolated resource patches within the relatively short time of 1 month is illustrated by the returns from the traps deployed in the field (at least 1 km from the nearest stored grain) even though they caught only a few beetles. The results presented here provide novel insights about the resource location behaviours of both T. castaneum and R. dominica. In particular, the relationship of T. castaneum with non‐cereal resources that are not conventionally associated with this species suggests an emphasis on these other resources in investigating the resource location behaviour of these beetles. This new perspective on the ecology of T. castaneum highlights the potential role of non‐cereal resources (such as the lint on cotton seed) in the spread of grain pest infestations.     

Inheritance pattern and expression of resistance to phosphine in larval stage of Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

Resistance developed by Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), a major pest of stored grain and grain products, to phosphine is a serious concern. Treatment of phosphine is given to all the stages (egg, larva, pupa and adult) of insects simultaneously in the infected commodity. Effective resistance management tactics need a proper understanding of expression of resistance in relation to dosage in immature stages including larvae. So, this study was undertaken to understand the genetic basis of phosphine resistance in larval stage of T. castaneum by crossing the resistant and susceptible parents to obtain the F₁, F₂ and the back-cross progenies. The resistant parent had a resistance ratio of 37.75 when compared to the susceptible parent. The susceptibility levels of the reciprocal F₁ hybrids did not show any significant difference indicating autosomal mode of inheritance of resistance. Level of dominance for the reciprocal F₁ hybrids was estimated (-0.70 and ?0.68) which showed that the resistance is expressed as incompletely recessive in larval stage of T. castaneum. χ² analysis showed that the observed and expected mortalities differed significantly (P < 0.05) in most of the concentrations indicating that more than one gene is responsible for phosphine resistance. Two plateaus at ～ 40 % and ～ 90 % mortality levels for the back-cross progeny to the resistant parent further confirmed the involvement of two or more genes in imparting resistance to phosphine. Our results will aid in enhancing the knowledge on the development of resistance to phosphine in the field and thus facilitate in designing suitable resistance management tactics.     

Effect of selected fungicides and Bio-Pesticides on the mycelial colony growth of the Helminthosporium oryzae. brown spot of rice

Helminthosporium oryzae, a fungal pathogen causing Brown Spot of Rice is one of the disastrous biotic factors responsible for 16–43% yield in rice. To control in vitro fungal growth of this pathogen, four fungicides viz. Mencozeb, Thiophanate Methyl, Iprovalicarb + Propineb and Propineb were used with four different concentrations: 50, 100, 150 and 200 ppm. Plant extracts of five species as Azadirachta indica, Calotropisprocera, Allium sativum, Datura stramonium and Zingiber officinale were also tested with three doses (5, 10 and 15 ml). While, 24 isolates of Bacterial isolates were investigated for their antagonistic effect. The in vitro results of the four fungicides contributed that Mancozeb and Thiophanate Methyl inhibited the colony growth at the higher doses (150 and 200 ppm) with no linear colony growth. However, Propineb was found moderately effective at (5.00 mm) and Iprovalicarb + Propineb was less effective (7.25 mm). Similarly, the in-vitro efficacy of the five plant extracts against H. oryzae at different doses revealed that Zingiber officinale and Allium sativum were more effective at high doses (00.00 mm, 2. mm). Also, Datura stramonium (4.62 mm) Azadirachta indica (18.00 mm) and Calotropisprocera (12.00 mm) performed better as compared to the control (40.00 mm). The results revealed that out of 24 isolates, 4 isolates of bacteria Agrobacterium spp, Xanthomonas, Erwinia, Streptomyces has inhibited the linear colony growth of H. oryzae up to 1-2 mm. This study can be useful for controlling the fungal disease as the two fungicides Mancozeb and Thiophanate Methyl were more effective and the Zingiber officinale and Allium sativum plant extracts were highly effective against the brown spot of rice. Biocontrol also reduced leaner colony Helminthosporium oryzae.     

Effects of essential oils on biological attributes of Trichogramma galloi adults

Bioactivity of nine essential oils (EOs) was studied on Anagasta kuehniella eggs in relation to the longevity of females, parasitism and emergence rates and sex ratio in the generations parental, F₁ and F₂ of Trichogramma galloi in comparison to a trade formulation of Azadirachta indica. There was no F₁ and F₂ progeny with Zingiber officinale being the most harmful. The greatest reductions in the parasitism rates (57, 43 and 28%) in the parental generation was caused by Allium sativum, Carapa guianensis and A. indica, respectively. In addition, A. sativum reduced the longevity (4.7 days) in the parental generation and emergence (33%) of F₁. Tested EOs did not affect the sex ratio in the generations F₁ and F₂ and emergence in the F₂. Allium sativum and Z. officinale were non-selective to T. galloi; while A. indica, C. guianensis and P. nigrum oils may compromise the progeny; therefore, their use must be avoided. Citrus sinensis, Mentha piperita, Origanum vulgare, Syzygium aromaticum and Thymus vulgare were selective to T. galloi, and these EOs are promising for IPM programs.     

两种书虱微卫星富集文库的构建及比较

利用链霉亲和素与生物素之间的强亲和性原理,将链霉亲和素偶联的磁珠与微卫星探针(AC)12、(TC)12、(ATC)8、(ATG)8、(AAC)8、(ATAC)6及(GATA)6退火结合后,再亲和捕捉含接头和微卫星序列的单链书虱基因组DNA限制性酶切目的片段,经PCR扩增形成双链后进行克隆、建库。结果表明本研究成功构建了嗜卷书虱和嗜虫书虱共13个微卫星富集文库,包括6个嗜卷书虱文库,7个嗜虫书虱文库,其平均阳性克隆率为71.17%。经检测发现共得到两种书虱260个微卫星位点。这两种书虱微卫星富集文库的建立和高多态性微卫星位点的筛选将为嗜卷书虱和嗜虫书虱的种群遗传与进化、基因连锁图谱构建、分子系统发育研究等提供大量分子遗传标记,对其在实仓中的持续控制提供遗传学信息。     

Protective antifungal effect of neem (Azadirachta indica) extracts on mango (Mangifera indica) and rain tree (Albizia saman) wood

Neem (Azadirachta indica) extract (NE) and NE combined with copper sulfate and boric acid (NECB) were examined for their protective effect against fungal deterioration of mango (Mangifera indica) and rain tree (Albizia saman) wood. Growth of the white-rot fungus Schizophyllum commune was completely inhibited on solid medium containing 1.8% (w/w) NE or 5% (w/w) NECB. The average weight losses of NE and NECB treated wood blocks inoculated with S. commune were respectively 4.7% and 3.3% for M. indica and 4.1% and 3.0% for A. saman. These numbers were significantly lower compared to those obtained in the untreated condition. Similar observations were also noticed in the case of field tests. An average increase of life span of M. indica and A. saman due to NE treatment compared to untreated samples was about 6–7 times higher. Therefore, both NE and NECB treatments are promising preservation options for enhancing the durability of both M. indica and A. saman woods.     

Inheritance and Characterization of Strong Resistance to Phosphine in Sitophilus oryzae (L.)

Sitophilus oryzae (Linnaeus) is a major pest of stored grain across Southeast Asia and is of increasing concern in other regions due to the advent of strong resistance to phosphine, the fumigant used to protect stored grain from pest insects. We investigated the inheritance of genes controlling resistance to phosphine in a strongly resistant S. oryzae strain (NNSO7525) collected in Australia and find that the trait is autosomally inherited and incompletely recessive with a degree of dominance of -0.66. The strongly resistant strain has an LC50 52 times greater than a susceptible reference strain (LS2) and 9 times greater than a weakly resistant strain (QSO335). Analysis of F2 and backcross progeny indicates that two or more genes are responsible for strong resistance, and that one of these genes, designated So_rph1, not only contributes to strong resistance, but is also responsible for the weak resistance phenotype of strain QSO335. These results demonstrate that the genetic mechanism of phosphine resistance in S. oryzae is similar to that of other stored product insect pests. A unique observation is that a subset of the progeny of an F1 backcross generation are more strongly resistant to phosphine than the parental strongly resistant strain, which may be caused by multiple alleles of one of the resistance genes.     

Polymorphism observed in mitochondrial genes of red flour beetle,Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) of different origin in laboratory cultures

Tribolium castaneum, a pest of stored grain, has a uniform morphology, preventing the visual identification of strains from different areas. Polymorphisms in the nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial genes of this species were examined, and combined into seven haplotypes among the test insect specimens originating from Japan, Thailand, and Canada. These results suggested the potential for geographical differentiation.     

Appraisal of plant extracts and streptomycin sulfate against citrus canker disease

Abstract

Plant extracts and streptomycin sulfate were evaluated against Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri. In first experiment, Azadirachta indica, Allium cepa, Catharanthus roseus, Allium sativum, Zingiber officinale (Roscoe) were investigated in vitro through inhibition zone technique against the growth of X. a. pv. citri. Results indicated that A. indica exhibited statistically significant inhibition (4?cm) zone over control. In second experiment, A. indica and streptomycin sulfate disjointedly and in amalgamation were evaluated in vitro. Streptomycin alone and in permutation with A. indica articulated significant inhibition of the bacterium. In third study, streptomycin sulfate and A. indica (S) and in combination were evaluated against citrus canker disease in green house. Results showed that streptomycin sulfate reduced disease significantly than control. In fourth experiment, streptomycin sulfate, A. indica, in combination and their interaction with days were evaluated under field condition. Streptomycin sulfate proved to be most effective and reduced the disease severity as compared to control.     

Challenges to using neem (Azadirachta indica var. sianensis Valenton) in Thailand

The use of botanical insecticides based on the neem seed (Azadirachta indica var.siamensis Valeton) shows strong potential in the fight against important agricultural pests. Unfortunately, its use in rural Thailand is extremely limited. This study examines the efficacy of neem extracts processed under rural conditions; identifies factors that influence local farmers’ adoption of neem products; and proposes recommendations to promote the use of neem insecticides. The principal findings are: in field trials conducted under typical rural conditions, neem did not adequately control major pests of yard-long beans (Vigna sesquipedalis); and intensity of vegetable production, knowledge of neem insecticides and availability and accessibility of neem products strongly influence farmers’ adoption of neem products for pest control.     

Efficacy of three plant essential oils,Azadirachta indica (Adr. Juss.), Eucalyptus camaldulensis (Dehn.) and Laurus nobilis (L.) on mortality cotton aphids,Aphis gossypii Glover (Hem: Aphididae)

The cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover (Hem: Aphididae), is one of the most injurious pests of fruits, vegetables and ornamental plants worldwide, both outdoor and indoor. Currently, the main method of control of this pest is through application of pesticides which is mostly accompanied by the resistance of the pest against pesticide(s). The resurgence of resistant aphid populations brings about further contamination of foodstuff and environment. Essential oils obtained from the aerial parts of plants may have the potential to be an alternative to synthetic pesticides, since they have been demonstrated to possess a wide range of bioactivities against insects and mites. So, the aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of essential oils extracted from three different plants namely: Azadirachta indica Adr. Juss. (Meliaceae), Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehn. (Myrtaceae) and Laurus nobilis L. (Lauraceae) against A. gossypii. The LC₅₀ values of essential oils of A. indica, E. camaldulensis and L. nobilis against A. gossypii were 1.96, 2.28 and 3.16?μl L^?1 air, respectively. This shows that A. indica possesses the highest lethal activity whereas L. nobilis the lowest. These data suggest that essential oils of all the three plants have the potential to be employed in the pest management programmes designed for a control of A. gossypii under greenhouse conditions.     

Imaging techniques for the detection of stored product pests

Stored grains are subject to deterioration and losses through various factors, but mainly insects and fungi. Various techniques are employed to detect stored product pests; however, there is an urgent need for an industrial-scale on-line detection technique. Near-infrared hyperspectroscopic imaging and soft X-rays have shown the potential for real-time application. These techniques are particularly effective for detecting internal infestations of stored grains. The digital images of the scanned objects are analyzed for various spectral and image features using statistical techniques such as complex multivariate tools. Classification accuracies as high as 80–100 % have been achieved for various pest and grain combinations. Dual-energy X-rays have been shown to detect the concealed eggs of stored product insect pests. The main threats to stored cereals come from Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp., and Fusarium spp., which may produce mycotoxins. These imaging techniques have shown good results in the detection of fungal infections of stored grain.     

Wild host plants of four spider mite species (Acari: Tetranychidae) infesting fruit crops in Okinawa

To determine the wild host plants of four major spider mite species infesting fruit crops grown in the subtropical Asian region, we collected and identified mites from non-crop plants throughout the islands of Okinawa, southwestern Japan. Although the two mango pests, Oligonychus coffeae and O. biharensis, are polyphagous, they did not share any wild host species in the field, indicating that their source plants are completely separate in Okinawa. Several major wild hosts were determined for Eutetranychus africanus, a pest of papaya and citrus. Its host range partially overlapped with that of O. biharensis. The citrus red mite, Panonychus citri, was very rare on non-crop plants in Okinawa, suggesting that it maintains its population mainly on the citrus trees in the area. These results are of great significance when considering vegetation control as part of the integrated management of these pest mites. During our survey, two non-pest species, Panonychus caglei (new to Japan) and Oligonychus gotohi (new to Okinawa), were also found.     

Putative Host Volatiles Used by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Habrobracon hebetor</Emphasis> (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) to Locate Larvae of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plodia interpunctella</Emphasis> (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Indianmeal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is a post-harvest pest of grains, milled and processed food, processing plants, warehouses and bakeries. The parasitoid, Habrobracon hebetor (Say) is among the most important natural enemies of Pyralidae infesting stored grains and grain products. Many parasitoids use semiochemicals originating from their hosts, or host’s habitat as cues to locate hosts, hosts’ food or habitat. The authors used Y-tube and four-way olfactometers to assay responses to stimuli with the moth host and thereby understand the role of host-associated semiochemicals in host location by H. hebetor. Responses of mated parasitoid females were assayed to the following stimuli: P. interpunctella sex pheromone, female adults, larvae, or hexane extracts of residue of the rearing medium. Generally, host-related odor sources generated stimuli that elicited better responses than those to blank controls. Previous exposure to odor sources from the host shortened latency periods and response times compared to naïve females. Odors emanating from live moth larvae elicited the strongest responses. When responses from the four odor sources were compared in a four-way olfactometer, it was confirmed that volatiles from larval moths elicited the strongest attraction to the parasitoid. The involvement of host-specific chemical cues in both long and short range host location by female parasitoid is discussed.     

The antagonistic/synergistic effects of some medicinal plant essential oils,extracts and powders combined with Diatomaceous earth on red flour beetle,Tribolium castaneum Herbst (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

Abstract

Red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum Herbst (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) is a prominent pest of stored products particularly cereal flour. Since resistance of this pest to common chemical insecticides is well documented, we were examined the synergistic/antagonistic interaction between Satureja hortensis L., Trachyspermum ammi L., Ziziphora tenuior L., Cuminum cyminum L. and Foeniculum vulgare Miller essential oils, ethanolic extracts and powders with Diatomaceous earth (DE) against T. castaneum adults under laboratory conditions at 27 ± 1 °C, 65 ± 5% RH and continuous darkness. We assayed repellency of ethanolic extracts and essential oils of mentioned plants on the pest. Results showed that DE had high toxicity to the pest. Plant essential oils and ethanolic extracts (except ziziphora) synergized the performance of DE. Nevertheless, plant powders elicited antagonistic effects (except ziziphora that exhibited synergistic effect). The most repellent EO and extract was cumin which exhibited mean repellency value on adult insect equivalent to 92.58 and 51.47%, respectively.