Essential oils from plants of the genus Cymbopogon as natural insecticides to control stored product pests

Abstract

The repellent and fumigant activities of essential oils (EOs) isolated from plants of the Cymbopogon genus against adults of Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.) and Sitophilus zeamais Motsch were investigated. Cymbopogon martinii was the most toxic EO with LC50 values of 37.2 and 159 mL/L air for O. surinamensis and S. zeamais, respectively. Cymbopogon nardus EO showed greatest repellent activity with RC50 values of 0.03 and 0.04 mL/cm2, respectively, for examined pests. All oils were more effective as repellents than the commercial product IR3535, and O. surinamensis was more sensitive than S. zeamais to the EOs. These results suggest that EOs isolated from plants of the genus Cymbopogon can play an important role in stored grain protection and reduce the risks associated with the use of synthetic insecticides.