EFFICIENCY OF SOME ALTERNATIVE INSECTICICEDS ON THE WHITE PEACH SCALE, Pseudaulacaspis pentagona (HEMIPTERA: DIASPIDIDAE).

Abstract

The present work was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of some alternative insecticides on the nymph and adult female populations of P. pentagona under laboratory and field conditions. Two groups of alternative insecticides were evaluated, these groups were Mineral oils (Misrona oil 85% mayonnaise & Alboleum oil 80% mayonnaise were used at rate of 2.5 %.) and Neem extracts (Neemix 4.5 % EC & Trilogy 90 % EC were used at rate of 1% and 1.5 %, respectively). One Organophosphorus insecticide (Fenitrothion 50 % EC at rate of 0.15%) was used as control measure for the two alternative groups. Laboratory bioassays of the tested alternative groups were carried out under laboratory conditions, by dipping the infested branches in the solution of each tested compound where the field evaluations were carried out in peach orchard at Qalubiya Governorate by spraying the tested alternative compounds with motor sprayer (Kobota). The obtained results showed that, the toxicity of the alternative insecticides on the white peach scale, P. pentagona were varied under laboratory conditions. The highest toxicity of the tested compounds on the nymphal stage according to their LC50 were fenitrothion (0.183%) followed by Neemix (0.357%). Mineral oils came in the 3rd order [Misrona oil (0.844%) & Alboleum oil (0.924%)] whereas Trilogy came in the last order (1.027%). The toxicity of the tested compounds on the adult female populations had the same trend, the highest toxic compounds were fenitrothion (0.226%) followed by Neemix (0.709%). Mineral oils came in the 3rd order [Misrona oil (1.368%) & Alboleum oil (1.388%)] and Trilogy came in the last order (2.310%). The efficiency of the tested alternative insecticides under field conditions after five weeks of application showed that, Mineral oils were more effective on P. pentagona populations, they reduced the insect populations to 89% (Misrona oil) and 88.3% (Alboleum oil), whereas Neem extracts were less effective on the insect populations 66.4% (Neemix) and 57 % (Trilogy), respectively. Fenitrothion had a moderate effect on the insect populations (79.3%). The obtained results proved that, the Mineral oils are highly efficient as alternative insecticides for controlling the white peach scale, P. pentagona compared with Neem extracts. So, it prefers to use the Mineral oils for controlling the scale insects in IPM program and more studies should be carried on neen extracts to improve their efficiency for control insect pests to minimize the environmental pollution with pesticides.