Potential of Omani Flora as Source of Natural Products for Control of Pulse Beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis

Abstract

Extracts of eight plants from the Omani flora were tested for their effects on oviposition, adult emergence from eggs and mortality of the pulse beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis. Observations were made on the number of eggs laid on kidney bean seeds treated with extracts, adult emergence from seeds and mortality of adults exposed to treated seeds. The number of eggs laid and the adults emerged from seeds treated with extracts prepared from ethanol were significantly less than from seeds treated with extracts prepared from methanol. The mortality of beetles released on grains treated with A. squamosa was l00% within 2 and 6 days in ethanol- and methanol-based extracts, respectively.

Keywords

• flora, natural products, pulse beetle, control, callosobruchus chinensis.