INSECTICIDAL POTENCY OF SOME BOTANICALS POWDER AGAINST PULSE BEETLE, CALLOSOBRUCHUS CHINENSIS L. IN STORED CHICKPEA

Abstract

Pulse beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis L., is an important pest of stored chickpea and widely distributed in the world. Chemical insecticides and fumigants are common control tactics against pulse beetle. As an alternative control method, botanical compounds and their constituents have been successfully used against this pest. The experiment was conducted at the Laboratory of the department of Entomology, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur, Bangladesh from June to October 2016 to study the effectiveness of 5 indigenous leaf powders as grain protectant against C. chinensis. The results indicated that among all the tested plant materials, tobacco leaf powder (TLP) had promising effects on inhibiting oviposition and reducing adult emergence, seed infestation, and weight loss by C. chinensis. Tobacco leaf powder offered complete protection of chickpea seeds applied at 25.0 g/kg seeds. Its lower doses exhibited efficacy in dose dependent manner. The lowest number of eggs (21.67), egg bearing seeds (19.33), adult emergence (12.33), seed infestation (5.18%), and weight loss (2.63%) were obtained from the TLP treated at 20.0 g/kg seeds, while the highest of the same were observed in untreated control. In the ovicidal test, TLP showed 100% inhibition at 25.0 g/kg seeds over control. The lowest number of adults (18.80) were emerged when larvae bearing seeds were treated with TLP at 25.0 g/kg seeds along with 50.35 % retardation over the control. TLP had no adverse effect on seed germination up to 3 months of storage. Therefore, TLP may be used for the effective management of C. chinensis in storage.