Toxicological biopotency of Azadirachta indica A. Juss (neem) extractive and derivatives as grain protectant to lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica Fabr on wheat, Triticum aestivun Linn. (Poaceae)

Abstract

Several synthetic pesticides used for the management of stored pests were applied during the storage period, providing total protection. At the same time, the chemicals' hazardous effects have several negative consequences for humans and the environment. To discover an alternate method, the adulticidal and larvicidal activities of neem leaf extract, neem seed kernel extract and deoiled neem seed kernel powder suspension and azadirachtin, and neemazal formulations were investigated in the current study. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the comparative insecticidal bio-potency of neem extractive and neem products as grain protectants to lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica Fabr on wheat, Triticum aetivun Linn. (Poaceae) in the Department of Botany, D.B.S. College, CSJM University, Kanpur. On the basis of Lc50 value under laboratory conditions the descending order of toxicity of different insecticides was Azadirachtin > Neemazal > NSKE > DNSKPS > NLE and their respective LC50 values were 0.9805, 0.9262, 0.8174, 0.6421 and 0.4593, respectively. Out of these five neem products thus tested only Azadirachtin, Neemazal and NSKE of them were found to be highly toxic while the other were found to have moderate toxicity to Rhyzopertha dominica and NLE is taken as unit. So these herbal products could be use as ecofriendly alternative measures of synthetic hazardous chemicals in grain protection under storage conditions.