Abstract

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of botanical powders ofJatropha curcas (L.), Datura stramonium (L.), Chenopodium ambrosioides(L.),Phytoloca dodecondra (L’Herit), Azadrachta indica (A. Juss) and Parthenium hysterophorus (L.) against Zabrotes subfasciatus (Boheman) in the laboratory under ambient condition. The test insects were reared in glass jar and tested on whole haricot bean grains. For comparison, primiphos-methyl and untreated check were used. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design in three replications. Hundred percent mortality of Z .subfasciatus was obtained with C. ambrosioides leaf powder at all levels of concentrations 24 hour after treatment application. More than 90% mortality of adult Z. subfasciatus was also observed for bean seeds treated with J. curcas, D. stramonium and P. dodecondra 96 hour after treatment at the rate of 15g/ 150g of grain application. Powder treatments of C. ambrosioides and A. indica at all tested rates and D. stramonium at higher levels (10 and 15g) gave more than 97% inhibition of F1 progeny production by Z. subfasciatus. Powder plant materials significantly reduced percent haricot bean grain infestation byZ. subfasciatus. Moreover, these plant materials had no effect on the germination capacity of haricot bean seeds. In general, the results obtained indicate that the use of these powder plant materials can be used for the control of Z. subfasciatus.

Key words: Jatropha curcas, Datura stramonium, Chenopodium ambrosioides, Phytoloca dodecondra, Azadrachta indica, Parthenium hysterophorus, Zabrotes subfasciatus.