Berramdane1,2*, F.Z. Najdi1, I.E. Kadi3 and M. Yousfi2
(1) Research Laboratory in Applied Chemical and Physical Sciences, the Higher School of Professors Taleb Abdelrahman, Laghouat, Algeria; (2) Research Laboratory in Basic Sciences, Amar Telidji University, Laghouat, Algeria; (3) Research Center in Biotechnology CRBt, Constantine, Algeria.
*Email address of the corresponding author: [email protected]
The green pomegranate aphid, Aphis punicae is considered one of the major agricultural pests responsible for significant crop losses. Conventional control methods using synthetic chemical pesticides have raised global health concerns due to their adverse effects on plants, animals, and humans. In pursuit of sustainable environmental protection for agricultural crops, this study aimed to evaluate the lethal effects of essential oils extracted from four plant species against the apterous form of the aphid. The oils were extracted from the aerial parts of lavender, Lavandula angustifolia, sage, Salvia officinalis, rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis, and from the peel of orange fruits. The extraction yield ranged between 0.46 and 1.10 mL/100 g. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed to analyze the chemical composition of these oils. The analysis revealed distinct differences in the dominant chemical profiles among the studied plant species. Rosemary extract displayed a balanced ratio of hydrocarbon and oxygenated monoterpenes, predominantly camphor, while citrus peel extract contained 100% pure hydrocarbon monoterpenes, mainly limonene. Lavender was characterized by a dominance of hydrocarbon monoterpenes (85.87%), whereas sage exhibited the highest content of oxygenated monoterpenes (88.02%) with 1,8-cineole as the main compound. Monoterpene groups represented the significant chemical component compared to low or absence of sesquiterpene in all species studied. The insecticidal activity was assessed by calculating corrected mortality rates and using five different concentrations (3, 4, 5, 7 and 10 µL/mL) following different time intervals after treatment (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours). The results demonstrated significant aphicidal activity of all plant extracts against the apterous aphids outperforming the commercial chemical pesticide Rustilan. Sage essential oil (S. officinalis) caused 100% mortality 12 hours after treatment. The LC50 value for sage oil was recorded at 2.20 µL/mL 6 hours after treatment, indicating superior efficacy compared to other tested oils and concentrations. The findings also showed that the corrected mortality rate increased with higher concentrations and longer exposure duration. This study highlighted the promising potential of plant-derived essential oils as effective bio-pesticides against the pomegranate aphid, suggesting their future potential application in environmentally friendly pest management programs.
Pomegranate aphid, Aphis punicae, plant extracts, chromatographic analysis, lethal concentration (LC50).
https://doi.org/10.22268/AJPP-001517