Abstract:
Various insect acts as pests for crops and storage grains that cause a lot of damage and
economic losses. Common control agents are synthetic compounds that are unsafe for
humans and the environment. Certain parts of plants and herbs are historically used
for their repellent activity against insects for grain storage and tree protection. In this
context, this study was planned to investigate the efficiency of selected botanicals of
Neemand Tulsi against Tribolium sp. that cause damage to stored grains and flour.
Insect repellency and mortality were tested using three different concentrations of
20%,50% , and 75% of both plant extracts.
Two bioassays were conducted, the first to evaluate the mortality percentage and the
second to evaluate repellency percentage. Results of this study demonstrated that these
plant extracts proved to have effective repellent activity and mortality rate against the
insect. The most effective extract was Neem followed by Tulsi in different
concentrations. 75% concentration Neem extract was found to be most effective with
85% mortality and 82.5% repellency after 72 hours and 4 hours respectively. The study
revealed the highest concentration increasing the mortality and repellency percentage
along with time duration. It is concluded from the results that these plants are natural
sources of repellent material and hence are a potential source of natural/biological
insect repellents
