1Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Wasit, Iraq
2IPM Center, Directorate of Agric. Res., Ministry of Science and Technology, Iraq
*Corresponding Author: Elaf Sahib Dubai, Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Wasit, Iraq, Email: elafs224@uowasit.edu.iq
Online published on 26 September, 2019.
Fig moth E. cautella (Lepidopter: Pyralidae) is an economically important pest in the world, because it infects the storage product of wide range of agricultural crops specially grains and their derivative foods. This has directed the need for development of alternative strategies which are safe, low cost and effective against pest and the more important strategy is the biocontrol which includes the use of pathogens, parasitoids and plant extract. This study was conducted to evaluate the activity of the neem oil of Azadirachta indica and B. thuringiensis alone and in combination in controlling fig moth E. cautella.
The study evaluated the effect of Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki on larvae of E. cautella, the effect of Neem oil in the larvae of E. cautella and the the combined effect of B. thuringiensis kurstaki and Neem oil on larvae of E. cautella. Statistical analysis was conducted using completely randomized design CRD and Duncan test. Probit analysis was used to obtain the median lethal concentrations (LC50) in addition to the median lethal time (LT50), within SPSS system version 20.
The results showed that there was significant increase in the effect of B. thuringiensis with increasing the concentration on the larvae of fig moth and the percentages of death were 9.7% and 50% at the concentrations 0.01% and 0.1%, respectively, after one day of treatment with a median lethal concentration (LC50) 0.1 and increased to 53% and 100%, respectively, after four days of treatment with LC50 of 0.008%. The effect of neem oil on the larvae of E.cautella showed a marked variation with the concentrations. The effect of the combination of B.thuringiensis and neem oil showed an increase in the mortality rate of larvae treated with both of them compared with the treatment of each separately.
B.thuringiensis and neem oil induced significant insecticidal effects on larvae of E. cautella, higher mortality was observed when the larvae were treated with both B. thuringiensis and neem oil in comparison to larvae that were treated with only one of these bioinsecticides. There were no indications of any side effects on human, environment and natural enemies.
Ephestia cautella, Biocontrol, Bacillus thuringiensis, Neem oil, LC50
