The insecticidal effect of natural basalt powder on Tribolium castaneum was evaluated. Two tests were used to study the insecticidal action of the basalt powder on the stored durum wheat. The coating test followed by the Bioassay test. The coating test of Tribolium castaneum adults in 10g of natural basalt powder, for 17 samples at rate of 25 adults per sample and an uncoated control, showed an insecticidal effect of the said powder with mortality rate of 100% for 70 hours of exposure against 5% for the control sample with a homogeneity of the mortality rate for the 17 samples. The bioassay test was carried out on durum wheat, the natural basalt powder was applied as dust at six different doses. The results of showed an insecticidal efficacy closely related to the dose and the time of exposure. The 500ppm dose showed insecticidal potential after 12 days of exposure against Tribolium castaneum (100% mortality). However, the 300ppm dose showed significant efficacy (100% mortality) against Tribolium castaneum after 14 days of exposure. In addition, the doses over than or equal to 75ppm resulted in a significant reduction in the insect population (mortality more than 74% for 14 days of exposure) compared to the control, providing new approach of integrated pest management strategy.
This study focuses on the assessment of the impact of climate change on the efficiency of ambient air aeration and the dynamics of Rhyzopertha dominica, which is a major pest that infests wheat stored in Tunisia. To project future climate conditions for the period 2041–2070, two climate models, namely MPI-ESM1.2 and CNRMCM5.1, were used under two representative concentration pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). The study examined the historical and projected feasibility of aeration in six natural regions located in northwestern Tunisia, where wheat is the main crop, and investigated the potential consequences of climate change on the dynamics of R. dominica. Using a heat and mass transfer model in an unaerated wheat silo, the temperature and moisture distributions in the grain mass were used to predict the development, reproduction, and survival of R. dominica. The results revealed a decline in favorable aeration hours due to climate change, resulting in an average reduction of 25% across the six regions. This reduction in aerated hours could significantly affect the effectiveness of aeration as a means of pest control. The mean difference comparisons, based on Tukey’s honestly significant difference (HSD) test, revealed a significant effect of climate change on the developmental parameters of R. dominica for the period 2041–2070 compared to the period 1970–1997. According to the insect dynamic model, future climate scenarios are expected to induce changes in the development duration, reproduction, and survival rates of R. dominica. The model predicts a (i) 10–15% extension in the development duration, (ii) 20–30% decrease in reproduction, and (iii) 5–10% decrease in survival relative to the historical period. These results underscore the critical importance of implementing adaptive pest management strategies for stored wheat.
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