Biopesticidal potential of green chemicals against Callosobruchus analis (f.) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae)

Pulses have 20-27% proteins which is 2- 3 times higher than traditional cereals. These constitute the main source of proteins for developing countries, like India where per capita consumption of the animal protein is low, thus they are rightly considered the poor man’s meat. India is largest pulse consumer, importer and producer country of the world occupying an area of 228.47 lakh hectares with the production of 17380 million tones every year. With the United Nations declaration of 2016 as International Year of Pulses to replace the social evil of malnutrition by legume, the research pertaining to the biology and bio intensive management of bruchids pests has become increasingly important. Therefore, laboratory bioassay of essential oils which are regarded as “Green Chemicals” extracted from Zanthoxylum armatum DC., Rabdosia rugosa Wall. ex Benth, Artemisia maritima Linn. and Colebrookea oppositifolia Sm. by hydro distillation was carried out against Callosobruchus analis (F.) to evaluate biopesticidal potential in terms of oviposition and progeny deterrence and ovicidal activities. There was a significant difference in the number of eggs laid on treated and control sets and among the different treatments of essential oils. Z. armatum at 100 µl/ml allowed the bruchid to lay only 19.15±3.6 eggs as compared to 82.35±4.5 in control and proved to be most effective treatment with 76.74% oviposition deterrence. R. rugosa and A. maritima oil were found most effective in reducing the egg hatchability to 48.00±3.2 and 49.52±2.2% respectively at a lowest dose of 10 µl/ml. Egg hatching inhibition percentage increased with an increase in concentration of all the treatments. R. rugosa oil at 100 µl/ml proved to be most effective in reducing the adult emergence with 85.48% progeny deterrence followed by A. maritima showing 81.67% deterrence. All the tested essential oils revealed a wide range of bioactivities against the bruchid pest.