Abstract
Laboratory experiments were done to determine the effect of geochemical composition of diatomaceous earth (DE) on insecticidal activity of DE against adults of the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Samples of DE were mined from DE-deposits in Slovenia, Greece, and Serbia. In addition, a commercially available DE formulation (SilicoSec®) was used in the tests and served as a positive control. The bioassays were carried out at temperatures 20, 25, and 30°C, relative humidity levels of 55 and 75%, and at application rates of 100, 300, 500, and 900 ppm. Adult mortality was recorded after 7, 14, and 21 days of exposure. Prior to bioassays with S. oryzae, the geochemical composition of all DEs that were used in the tests was determined by whole rock ICP geochemical analyses. Silica (in the form of SiO2 or opal-A) was the DE ingredient that was significantly correlated with efficacy in most of the bioassays. Some weak positive correlation was observed between S. oryzae mortality and MnO or CaO content. All significant correlations between mortality and Al2O3, Fe2O3, K2O, TiO2, Cr2O3, P2O5, and MgO content were negative, while correlation between Na2O content and mortality was generally not significant.
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Acknowledgments
Funding for this study was provided by the multilateral project SEE-ERA.NET 9902 “Development of a non-toxic, ecologically compatible, natural-resource based insecticide from diatomaceous earth deposits of South Eastern Europe to control stored-product insect pests” and by national project L4-1013 “Development, optimization and implementation of sustainable control methods against plant pests”. We thank Dr. Nickolas Kavallieratos for providing us with DE samples from Greece and Serbia, and Aleksander Bobnar and Katarina Kos for technical assistance. We thank two anonymous reviewers for comments that have improved the quality of the paper.
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Communicated by C. Cutler.
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Rojht, H., Horvat, A., Athanassiou, C.G. et al. Impact of geochemical composition of diatomaceous earth on its insecticidal activity against adults of Sitophilus oryzae (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). J Pest Sci 83, 429–436 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-010-0313-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-010-0313-6