This work was carried out to investigate the effects of grinding, storage conditions and duration on the bio-efficacy of neem seeds as a home-made insecticide against the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum. Samples of neem seeds (intact and ground) were kept in small jute sacks and stored in the sun, refrigerator (4ºC), and room temperature (28 ± 2ºC) for two, four and six weeks in each condition. After the respective storage period, a water extract (5%) was prepared and sprayed topically on the 3 rd instar larvae of the beetle as well as on the pupal stage. A significant mortality of 62.83% resulted from the neem seeds stored in the refrigerator on the 7 th day of exposure. The seeds stored in the sun caused a mortality of 48.49%. The water extract from the seeds which were stored at room temperature, resulted in significantly high cumulative larval mortality of 50.30%. The efficacy of neem seeds kept in the sun was negatively affected and correlated with the length of storage period. However, the efficacy of the neem seeds stored in the refrigerator was increased with storage time. The pupal mortality due to spraying with water extract from neem seeds stored in the sun, refrigerator and room temperature was 49.67, 68.12 and 69.43% respectively. The mortality in the control (water treatment) was 7.33%. The results indicated that grinding of neem seeds before storage seems to have no effects on their efficacy.
This study aimed at identifying the impact of red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineusOlivier infestation on date palm trees (Phoenix dactylifera) in terms of internal temperature changes compared to ambient atmospheric air temperature. Adult weevils as well as sensors of electronic data loggers were introduced inside date palm trees through holes drilled in the tree trunks for measuring internal temperatures at eight levels of infestation period (one to eight weeks). Three levels of forced infestation were used: 1 male: 1 female, 1 male: 2 females, and 2 males: 4 females. A group of date palm trees with only logger's sensors inside were used as a control. Four loggers with their sensors were hung outside on the date palm trees to measure ambient air temperatures during the experiment. Both minimum and maximum temperatures of healthy (uninfested) and infested date palm trees fell within ranges that were always above the minimum and below the maximum ambient temperature for the whole duration of the experiment. The average temperature of infested date palm (32.60°C) was significantly higher than the average temperature recorded at the same time both inside the healthy trees (29.53°C) and in the ambient atmosphere (29.35°C). The average temperature of infested date palm increased slightly with increase in infestation level with the highest being 32.80°C, which was recorded inside date palm infested with 2 males and 4 females, while it was 32.54 and 32.45°C inside trees infested with 1 male and 1 female, and 1 male and 2 females, respectively. It is evident that temperature differences between infested date palm on one side and healthy date palm and ambient atmosphere on the other side could well provide a platform for identifying infested trees. This is a valuable baseline information for further research to develop a real time multi-sensor fusion system for an effective early detection of RPW infestation which is a crucial step in the implementation of successful RPW integrated pest management (RPW-IPM) programs.
Two field experiments were conducted at two different locations in Khartoum State, Sudan during the cropping season 2007/2008 to evaluate the efficacy of three biopesticides on the major insects of tomato, (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Treatments applied were NeemAzal ®-T/S (2L/ha), XenTari ® (1kg/ha), Spinosad ® (2L/ha). Sumicidin ® 20% EC was applied at a rate of 0.7L/ha for comparison. Major insect pests studied were whitefly, Bemisia tabaci; aphids, Aphis gossypii and African bollworm (ABW), Helicoverpa armigera. All treatments significantly reduced the populations of the test insect pests. NeemAzal proved to be nearly as effective as Sumicidin. Higher numbers of the green lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea (Steph.) were found in biopesticidestreated and control plots compared with fewer numbers in Sumicidin-treated plots. The per cent increase in yield was 32%, 31.2%, 25.3% and 20% in plots treated with NeemAzal, Sumicidin, Xen Tari and Spionsad respectively.
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