Advanced Research Journal of Microbiology (ARJM) ISSN 1718-3499, Vol. 6(4), pp. 319-325, September, 2020.  © Advanced Scholars Journals

 Full length Research paper

The Role Neem Seed and Garlic Bulb Powders as Biopesticides of Adult Maize Weevil (Sitophilus zeamais Motsch.) in Stored Maize Grains

Aweke Y, Zekeria Y* Sewnet M

*Corresponding Author’s Email:[email protected]

School of Biological and Biotechnological Sciences, Haramaya University

Accepted 16 June, 2020.

Abstract 

Post-harvest losses are one of the major causes of food insecurity in the developing world. The present study was planned to investigate the effect of neem seed and garlic bulb powders in control of maize weevil and prolonged storage of the powders on their insecticidal activity. A 3x3 factorial experiment was laid in a Complete Randomized Design (CRD) replicated two times. The result indicated that all the treatments have shown high repellence against maize weevil at all amounts of treatments (5, 10, and 15 grams) in the whole durations. However, there was no significance difference among 5, 10, and 15 grams for all the treatments including neem seed, garlic, and combination of neem seed and garlic powders. Mean separation for maize weevil mortality rate during 48 days of treatment of maize grain with different amounts of neem seed, garlic and combination of neem seed and garlic powder was shown that there was no mortality of maize weevils recorded for control (0gram). However, significant mortality was recorded for each treatments during 48 days of storage. The highest mean mortality rate was recorded for neem seed powder than for garlic powder, and combinations of neem seed and garlic powders showing insecticidal property of neem leaves. Maize weevil progeny emergence rate during extended duration of maize grain storage as treated by neem seed, garlic, and combinations of neem- garlic leaf powders  was indicated that the highest progeny emergence rate was recorded for control group in all treatments.  Only after 48 days that progeny emergence was recorded for experimental groups. It can be concluded from the present study that neem and garlic bulb powders could be used as effective insect repellents. Further studies are required to evaluate the effectiveness of neem seed and garlic powders in expended storage period.

Keywords: Insecticidal activity, Mortality, Plant extracts, Repellence, Storage duration.