Bio-rational control of red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in stored wheat with Calneem ® oil derived from neem seeds

The red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), is one of the most serious secondary pests that feeds on a wide range of durable stored products including cereals, cereal products and other high value produce such as cocoa beans and dried fruits. Toxicity and protectant potential of Calneem oil derived from the seeds of the neem tree Azadirachta indica A. Juss. towards T. castaneum were evaluated in stored wheat in the laboratory using contact toxicity, grain treatment, persistency, progeny emergence and repellency assays. Calneem contains about 0.3% azadirachtin as its major active ingredient. The Calneem was applied at six dosages (0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0% v/v). The oil was emulsified with water using 0.07% soap. All dosages of Calneem oil were toxic and highly repellent to T. castaneum with an overall repellency in the range of 52–88%. The highest dosage of 3.0% of Calneem oil tested killed at least 90% of the beetles within 72 h on grain, and 88% mortality was obtained on filter paper. T. castaneum mortality was dose dependent. The development of eggs to adults on cracked wheat was significantly (P\0.05) inhibited by Calneem oil treatments. The effectiveness of Calneem oil was significantly reduced by the length of storage after application. The results obtained suggest good potential for the practical use of Calneem oil as grain protectant for stored product pest control. The use of plant materials such as neem oil may be a safe, cost-effective method of grain preservation against pest infestation amongst low-resource poor farmers who store small amounts of grains.