Acaricidal properties of essential oils from agro‐industrial waste products from citric fruit against Tetranychus urticae

Abstract

Tetranychus urticae is a major agricultural pest with worldwide distribution that has caused considerable damage to vegetable crops in north‐eastern Brazil. The aim of the present study was to investigate the chemical and lethal/sublethal effects of essential oils from the peels of the lime (Citrus aurantiifolia), lemon (C. limon), mandarin orange (C. reticulata) and (C. reticulata × C. sinensis) as well as selected constituents (linalool, α‐terpineol, α‐pinene, β‐pinene, terpinolene and limonene) against T. urticae. The greatest yield was achieved with the mandarin and tangerine peel oils. The chemical analysis (gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry) of the essential oils from the Citrus fruit peels enabled the identification of 127 compounds, revealing a predominance of monoterpenes. Limonene was the major constituent, and α‐pinene, β‐pinene, linalool and α‐terpineol were found in substantial quantities. Regarding the susceptibility of T. urticae, the Citrus oils and selected constituents were more effective by fumigation than residual contact. The C. reticulata oil was the most toxic by fumigation, and the C. limon oil was the most toxic by residual contact. The constituent α‐terpineol exhibited the highest toxicity with both methods. At a sublethal concentration, the oils and selected constituents had significant effects on the fecundity, feeding preference and oviposition of the mite. Citrus oils and their constituents are potentially useful for the future integrated management of T. urticae due to their lethal and sublethal properties. However, further studies are needed to evaluate the action of these essential oils against non‐target organisms and determine the cost–benefit ratio for the formulation of an acaricide harvested from agro‐industrial waste from citric fruit processing activities for use in the integrated control of T. urticae.

The application of essential oils as a next-generation of pesticides: recent developments and future perspectives

“…Good results (LC 50 = 0.06 mL/L air) were also obtained by Born et al [109] against the same mite species, using L. gracilis EO; the results also proved a high selectivity towards the tested mite, compared with its natural enemy, Neoseiulus californicus. Similar results were also obtained by Mahmoud et al [110] and Ribeiro et al [111]. Rey-Valeirón et al [112] used Schinus molle EO against Rhipicephalus sanguineus (brown tick of the dog) larvae and engorged adult females, obtaining superior results compared with the control acaricide used (cypermethrin).…”

Bioactivity of essential oils for the management of Tetranychus urticae Koch and selectivity on its natural enemy Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor): A promising combination for agroecological systems

“…The yields of the essential oils from the species analyzed are compatible with those described in previous studies on C. rhamnifolioides (Camara et al 2017), C. grewioides (Silva et al 2008), C. aurantiifolia, C. limon (Ribeiro et al 2019) and C. sinensis (Júnior et al 2010) collected in different localities in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. The chemical profiles determined for the oils from the species of Croton, Lippia, Piper and Citrus are in agreement with data previously reported for these species and/or their congeners.…”

“…The acaricidal activity of Citrus against T. urticae has previously been demonstrated by residual toxicity, fumigation and repellent action (Júnior et al 2010; Ribeiro et al 2019. Regarding residual toxicity, the present study reports much lower LC 50 values for C. limon (0.13 µL mL -1 ) and C. aurantiifolia (0.21 µL mL -1 ) than those reported by Ribeiro et al (2019), which were 25.18 µL mL -1 and 106.14 µL mL -1 , respectively. This divergence may be explained by variations in populations of T. urticae, methodological differences and the percentages of different chemical constituents found in the Citrus oils.…”

Insecticidal Potential of Citrus and Mango Essential Oils and Selected Constituents on Silverleaf Whitefly1

“…The fumigant properties of oils are well known for a wide variety of arthropods (RIBEIRO et al, 2019, MALACRINÒ et al, 2016BENELLI, 2016), including B. tabaci (YANG et al, 2010. However, this is the first report of the fumigant action of oils from Citrus sinensis x C. reticulata, C. limon and M. indica ("rosa" and "espada" varieties) on the whitefly.…”