Impact of four plant powder on the development of the rice moth, corcyra cephalonica stainton in rice grain

Abstract

Laboratory studies were conducted on the insecticidal effect of four plant powders Biophytum sensitivum (whole plant), Theobroma cacao (leaf), Pandanus amaryllifolius (leaf), and Hemidesmus indicus (root) on rice moth Corcyra cephalonica Stainton infesting stored food products. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design (CRD) with six replications. The treatment dose ranged from 2 to 20% (w/w) of plant powder in rice grain. A control treatment having no botanical was set up to compare the results in order to choose effective plant powder to control rice moth in storage. Ten fourth instar larvae of rice moths were introduced to each treatment. The cumulative mortality percentage of larvae in different botanical treatments was recorded at two weeks interval. It was revealed that the use of powders from the selected indigenous plants increased larval mortality of the rice moth. Among the plant powders studied Hemidesmus indicus root powder recorded 86.4% mortality of the larvae at the end of the experiment and showed significantly (p<0.05) high effectiveness in inhibiting pupation and thus the adult emergence.