Management of <I>Sitophilus zeamais</I> Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) using Nigerian Raw Diatomite

Abstract

Maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais, whose management has largely been via traditional control practices, is a key pest of stored maize grains causing severe losses. This study explored the use of Nigerian Raw Diatomite (RD) in the management of the weevil. A 3-replicated split plot designed laboratory experiment was conducted for 6 months duration. The treatments were Raw Diatomite (RD) at the rate of 250, 500, 750 and 1000 mg/kg and a control (untreated) across four improved maize grain varieties. Data collected were on mortality, F1 progeny produced, grain weight damage, and loss. Data were analyzed with variance analysis and significantly different means were separated using Turkey Kramer HSD test at P&lt;0.05. Results showed that the control had the least weevil mortality across the varieties throughout the periods of assessment. Highest weevil mortality was recorded with increase in dose rates of RD and progresses to 100% - largely at the 14th day post-treatment. Control recorded the highest weight loss and grain damage of 16.5% and 38.1%, respectively when compared to all the other treatment rates on the most tolerant variety (SAMMAZ 25). The study revealed that RD had a promising potential to substitute synthetic insecticides and can be incorporated into the integrated pest management strategy against maize weevil. We therefore suggest that further work be done to refine the Nigerian RD so as to standardize the most effective dosage application rate for management of insect pests of stored maize and other cereals.&#x0D; Keywords: Raw Diatomite, Sitophilus zeamais, Maize grain damage

Insecticidal Effect of Bularafa Raw Diatomaceous Earth (BRDE) Against Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) on Stored Maize (Zea mays L.) and Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench) Grains

“…and Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) effectively on stored grains and its efficacy is comparable to many commercial DE formulations (Kabir et al, 2011(Kabir et al, , 2012(Kabir et al, , 2013(Nwaubani et al, 20 14;Abdulrahman et al, 2017;Audu et al, 2017;Abdulrahman and Kabir, 2018) and Medugu et al, 2020). The insecticidal potential of the vast deposits of Raw Diatomaceous earth in Northern Nigeria is not fully utilized for the control of an important storage insect pest such as R. dominica.…”

Repellency Effects of Three Indigenous Plant Extracts Against the Red Rust Flour Beetle Tribolium castaneum Herbst (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in Northeastern Nigeria

“…After seven (7) days, when oviposition had been noticed, the parent stock of T. castaneum was removed. The flour with the oviposited eggs was then left under laboratory conditions until emergence of F 1 progeny [22].…”