Abstract
Within the context of the harmful side-effects of chemical pest control applications, the present study investigated the insecticidal effect of three commercial biopesticides, the fungal Metab (Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae) and Lecan (Lecanicillium lecanii), as well as raw zeolite, against Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), also known as the confused flour beetle. To this end, we sprayed Tribolium confusum adults with suspensions of the said biopesticides, at three different dosages (250 ppm, 500 ppm, and 1000 ppm) on Avena sativa L. and Linum usitatissimum L. hull and no hull seeds. The data were analyzed in terms of three- and four-way ANOVA model, and the overall survival was determined while using the Kaplan–Meier method. The mortality of Tribolium confusum adults was recorded and analyzed in correlation with the following parameters: dose, product (seed), days, and treatment as factors. At the end of the experiment, all of the biopesticides were effectively pathogenic, but there was variation in their effectiveness in terms of the T. confusum mortality that they caused, depending on the product (seed). The type of seed can play a role in the pathogenicity or effectiveness of the biopesticides. Additionally, our results showed that the mortality percentage was dependent on the dose and treatment of the commercial biopesticides.
Highlights
Oat (Avena sativa L.) and flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) are two of the most important crops in temperate areas and, economically, they are ranked as two of the eight most important crops in the world [1,2]
The objective of the present study was to investigate the insecticidal effect of three commercial biopesticides against adults of the confused flour beetle, Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), on the hull and no hull seeds of A. sativa and L. usitatissimum, as well as the extent to which the presence of a hull, or lack thereof, in the seeds affects the insecticidal effect of these products
For control adults who had only been treated with ddH2 O, mortality was 3% on no hull A. sativa seeds, 2% on hull A. sativa seeds, 4% on hull L. usitatissimum seeds, and 2% on no hull
Summary
Oat (Avena sativa L.) and flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) are two of the most important crops in temperate areas and, economically, they are ranked as two of the eight most important crops in the world [1,2]. Oat seed use for human consumption has progressively increased, thanks to its dietary benefits [2]. Flax seed is used for oil production as well as in food industries due to its nutritional merits, essential Polyunsaturated fatty acids, and rich supply of soluble dietary fiber [1]. The seed weight of both species is negatively influenced by stored pest infestation. Insects are major pests of stored products. Stored-product insects are responsible for affecting the quality, quantity, and commercial value of dried stored agricultural commodities, accounting for Agriculture 2019, 9, 226; doi:10.3390/agriculture9100226 www.mdpi.com/journal/agriculture
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