Efficacy of some plant oils, plant extract and bio-insecticide against potato tuber moth, Phthorimaea Operculella (zeller)‎ (lepidoptera: gelechiidae)‎ during storage

Abstract EN

The potato tuber moth (PTM), Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is the most destructive pest of stored potato Solanum tuberosum L.

tubers in Egypt.

The efficacy of ginger, fennel, dill and caraway oils, tilia extract and spinosad for controlling PTM, under storage conditions was studied.

Experiment was carried out in the laboratory at 27±2°C and 65±5% RH.

Infestation free potato tubers of Sponta variety were brought and sorted.

Concentrations of tested treatments were 10, 7, 5 and 2.5 m/l for oils and tilia extract, while it was 1.0, 0.75, 0.50 and 0.25 m/l for spinosad.

Three replicates were used for each concentration (20 kg/replicate), in addition, three replicates were used as control.

Potato tubers were grouped to a pyramidal form (50×50×50 cm) covered with 50 cm height of treated rice straws by the selected concentrations.

The number of mines and produced pupae were recorded every two weeks for three months.

At the end of the storage period the weight of the potato tubers and losses were calculated.

Results revealed that all treatments were effective in reducing infestation.

The highest reduction percentage was in the spinosad, ginger, fennel, dill and caraway oils followed by tillia extract (the least one).

Effective tested materials were recommended to be used for controlling P.

operculella.