Vol. 7, Issue 11 (2018)

Author(s):
Gowri MD, Nalina Sundari MS and Santhi R

Abstract:
Tribolium castaneum is a major stored product pest, infesting a number of grains from store houses to other storage places also. Many synthetic pesticides were used for control of stored product pests. Synthetic pesticides minimise these pests as well as create a resistance to synthetic pesticides among those pests. To overcome this problem, the attention had been made for biopesticides to control stored product pests. In this study cow urine extract of A. indica leaves were used as a biopesticide. Based on the LC₅₀ value sublethal concentrations were fixed as 0.08, 0.16 and 0.24%. Both T. castaneum larvae and adult were treated with food grains with sublethal concentrations. The digestive enzymes were analysed before pupation in the case of larvae and after 10 days in adults. A dose dependant reduction was observed in amylase and protease but in the case of invertase at lower doses invertase activity was slightly increased but at higher doses activity was decreased.