Bioactive silo bag for controlling stored pest: Sitophilus zeamais (Coleoptera:Curculionidae)

JIMENA M. HERRERA; ELIZABETH PERALTA; MARCELA A. PALACIO; JORGE NEMESIO MERCADO RUIZ; MIRIAM C. STRUMIA; JULIO A. ZYGADLO, ; HERLINDA SOTO VALDEZ.

REVISTA IBEROAMERICANA DE TECNOLOGIA POSTCOSECHA

Asociación Iberoamericana de Post cosecha

Año: 2022 vol. 23 p. 213 - 224

1665-0204

Corn weevil, Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky, is a primary pest of stored grain causing significant quantitative and qualitativeloss worldwide; its control mainly depends on synthetic insecticides such as organophosphates and pyrethroids. Several organiccompounds derived from plant such as ketones represent “green” alternatives to conventional pesticides. e aim of this studywas to develop a bioactive silo bag with natural formulation consisting of plant-based ketones (binary mixture of thymoquinoneand pulegone 1:1 mass ratio) in its inner layer (LDPE) to compare the efficiency of the process and relationship with thephysicochemical properties of the molecules. us, we evaluated their optical, chemical, mechanical and biological properties. Nodifferences in the morphology between the active and control silo bags were found. e repellent and insecticidal activities of thebioactive silo bag were tested against S. zeamais, primary pest of storage crops, showing a repellent index (RI) around 70% and100% mortality, respectively. erefore, a formulation with organic compounds (pulegone and thymoquinone) incorporated inthe hermetic structure of the storage system could be used as an eco-friendly tool for sustainable pest management.