Can the botanical azadirachtin replace phased-out soil insecticides in suppressing the soil insect pest Diabrotica virgifera virgifera?
Abstract Background Due to recent bans on the use of several soil insecticides and insecticidal seed coatings, soil-dwelling insect pests are increasingly difficult to manage. One example is the western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera, Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a serious root-feeder...
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CABI
2021-07-01
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| Series: | CABI Agriculture and Bioscience |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s43170-021-00044-9 |
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| author | Stefan Toepfer Szabolcs Toth Mark Szalai |
| author_facet | Stefan Toepfer Szabolcs Toth Mark Szalai |
| author_sort | Stefan Toepfer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Due to recent bans on the use of several soil insecticides and insecticidal seed coatings, soil-dwelling insect pests are increasingly difficult to manage. One example is the western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera, Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a serious root-feeder of maize (Zea mays). We investigated whether the less problematic botanical azadirachtin, widely used against above-ground insects, could become an option for the control of this soil insect pest. Methods Artificial diet-based bioassays were implemented under standard laboratory conditions to establish dose response curves for the pest larvae. Then, potted-plant experiments were implemented in greenhouse to assess feasibility and efficacy of a novel granular formulation of azadirachtin under more natural conditions and in relation to standard insecticides. Results Bioassays in three repetitions revealed a 3-day LD50 of 22.3 µg azadirachtin/ml which corresponded to 0.45 µg/neonate of D. v. virgifera and a 5-day LD50 of 19.3 µg/ml or 0.39 µg/first to second instar larva. No sublethal effects were observed. The three greenhouse experiments revealed that the currently proposed standard dose of a granular formulation of 38 g azadirachtin/hectare for in-furrow application at sowing is not enough to control D. v. virgifera or to prevent root damage. At 10× standard-dose total pest control was achieved as well as the prevention of most root damage. This was better than the efficacy achieved by cypermethrin-based granules and comparable to tefluthrin-granules, or thiamethoxam seed coatings. The ED50 for suppressing larval populations were estimated at 92 g azadirachtin/ha, for preventing heavy root damage 52 g/ha and for preventing general root damage 220 g/ha. Conclusions There seems clear potential for the development of neem-based botanical soil insecticides for arable crops such as maize. They might become, if doses are increased and more soil insecticides phased out, a promising, safer solution as part of the integrated pest management toolkit against soil insects. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e409c4163b814db1be5df30a0ea82954 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2662-4044 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | CABI |
| record_format | Article |
| series | CABI Agriculture and Bioscience |
| spelling | doaj-art-e409c4163b814db1be5df30a0ea829542025-02-02T16:11:29ZengCABICABI Agriculture and Bioscience2662-40442021-07-012111410.1186/s43170-021-00044-9Can the botanical azadirachtin replace phased-out soil insecticides in suppressing the soil insect pest Diabrotica virgifera virgifera?Stefan Toepfer0Szabolcs Toth1Mark Szalai2CABICABIDepartment of Integrated Pest Management, Plant Protection Institute, Szent Istvan UniversityAbstract Background Due to recent bans on the use of several soil insecticides and insecticidal seed coatings, soil-dwelling insect pests are increasingly difficult to manage. One example is the western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera, Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a serious root-feeder of maize (Zea mays). We investigated whether the less problematic botanical azadirachtin, widely used against above-ground insects, could become an option for the control of this soil insect pest. Methods Artificial diet-based bioassays were implemented under standard laboratory conditions to establish dose response curves for the pest larvae. Then, potted-plant experiments were implemented in greenhouse to assess feasibility and efficacy of a novel granular formulation of azadirachtin under more natural conditions and in relation to standard insecticides. Results Bioassays in three repetitions revealed a 3-day LD50 of 22.3 µg azadirachtin/ml which corresponded to 0.45 µg/neonate of D. v. virgifera and a 5-day LD50 of 19.3 µg/ml or 0.39 µg/first to second instar larva. No sublethal effects were observed. The three greenhouse experiments revealed that the currently proposed standard dose of a granular formulation of 38 g azadirachtin/hectare for in-furrow application at sowing is not enough to control D. v. virgifera or to prevent root damage. At 10× standard-dose total pest control was achieved as well as the prevention of most root damage. This was better than the efficacy achieved by cypermethrin-based granules and comparable to tefluthrin-granules, or thiamethoxam seed coatings. The ED50 for suppressing larval populations were estimated at 92 g azadirachtin/ha, for preventing heavy root damage 52 g/ha and for preventing general root damage 220 g/ha. Conclusions There seems clear potential for the development of neem-based botanical soil insecticides for arable crops such as maize. They might become, if doses are increased and more soil insecticides phased out, a promising, safer solution as part of the integrated pest management toolkit against soil insects.https://doi.org/10.1186/s43170-021-00044-9Integrated pest managementWestern corn rootwormAzadirachtinZea maysBiopesticideSoil insecticide |
| spellingShingle | Stefan Toepfer Szabolcs Toth Mark Szalai Can the botanical azadirachtin replace phased-out soil insecticides in suppressing the soil insect pest Diabrotica virgifera virgifera? CABI Agriculture and Bioscience Integrated pest management Western corn rootworm Azadirachtin Zea mays Biopesticide Soil insecticide |
| title | Can the botanical azadirachtin replace phased-out soil insecticides in suppressing the soil insect pest Diabrotica virgifera virgifera? |
| title_full | Can the botanical azadirachtin replace phased-out soil insecticides in suppressing the soil insect pest Diabrotica virgifera virgifera? |
| title_fullStr | Can the botanical azadirachtin replace phased-out soil insecticides in suppressing the soil insect pest Diabrotica virgifera virgifera? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Can the botanical azadirachtin replace phased-out soil insecticides in suppressing the soil insect pest Diabrotica virgifera virgifera? |
| title_short | Can the botanical azadirachtin replace phased-out soil insecticides in suppressing the soil insect pest Diabrotica virgifera virgifera? |
| title_sort | can the botanical azadirachtin replace phased out soil insecticides in suppressing the soil insect pest diabrotica virgifera virgifera |
| topic | Integrated pest management Western corn rootworm Azadirachtin Zea mays Biopesticide Soil insecticide |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s43170-021-00044-9 |
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