Essential Oil-Based Nano-Biopesticides: Formulation and Bioactivity against the Confused Flour Beetle Tribolium confusum

Davide Palermo, Giulia Giunti, Francesca Laudani, Vincenzo Palmeri and Orlando Campolo
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Davide Palermo: Department of Agriculture, University Mediterranea of Reggio Calabria, 89122 Reggio Calabria, Italy
Giulia Giunti: Department of Agriculture, University Mediterranea of Reggio Calabria, 89122 Reggio Calabria, Italy
Francesca Laudani: Department of Agriculture, University Mediterranea of Reggio Calabria, 89122 Reggio Calabria, Italy
Vincenzo Palmeri: Department of Agriculture, University Mediterranea of Reggio Calabria, 89122 Reggio Calabria, Italy
Orlando Campolo: Department of Agriculture, University Mediterranea of Reggio Calabria, 89122 Reggio Calabria, Italy

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 17, 1-13

Abstract: Post-harvest pest control can rely on few approved pesticides and tools; hence, there is a rising interest in new sustainable, eco-friendly approaches. In this study, eight commercial essential oils (EOs) (anise Pimpinella anisum , artemisia Artemisia vulgaris , fennel Foenicum vulgare , garlic Allium sativum , lavender Lavandula angustifolia , mint Mentha piperita , rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis , and sage Salvia officinalis ) were selected for their bioactivity and commercial availability, and then formulated in nano-emulsions. Repellency and acute toxicity of the developed nano-formulations were tested against a key stored product pest, Tribolium confusum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). All the developed nano-emulsions presented optimal physical characteristics (droplet dimension = 95.01–144.30 nm; PDI = 0.146–0.248). All the formulations were repellent over time tested against adult beetles, in area preference bioassays. The best repellent was the anise EO-based formulation (RC 50 = 0.033 mg). Mortality values from cold aerosol trials showed that the majority of tested EOs caused immediate acute toxicity, and garlic EO nano-emulsion caused the highest mortality of T. confusum adults (LC 50 = 0.486 mg/L of air). EO-based nano-insecticides, used as cold aerosol and gel, are promising control methods against stored product pests, which can be integrated and combined with other sustainable biorational approaches.

Keywords: gel formulation; repellency; toxicity; nano-emulsions; insecticide; stored product pests; cold aerosol (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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