Effect of cumin seed (Cuminum cyminum L.) essential oil from Catamarca, Argentina, on the stored maize pests Sitophilus zeamais and Fusarium verticillioides

The essential oil composition of Cuminum cyminum L. from Catamarca province, Argentina, and its insecticide and antifungal activities were studied, with the major constituents detected by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) being: cuminaldehyde (20.58 %), ϒ-terpinene (20.43 %), p-cymene (17.35 %) and β-pinene (13.75 %). Insecticidal activity was tested against Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky. The results showed that cumin oil lethal concentrations (LC) LC50 and LC95 values were 66.39 μL/L air and 370.14 μL/L air, respectively. Moreover, the essential oil had a repellent effect at 4 μL/L and 0.4 μL/L and an inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity of 88.39 % and 47.75 % at concentrations of 9.2 and 2.3 mg/L, respectively. Antifungal activity against Fusarium verticillioides was tested at 250.500 and 1000 μL/L. For the highest concentration of cumin essential oil, the mycelia growth was inhibited by around 80 %. Lag phase and growth rate of F. verticillioides was affected considerably and showed concentration dependence. The results obtained in this study revealed the possible use of cumin oil as a natural alternative in controlling S. zeamais and F. verticillioides, the main pests of stored maize.