DIATOMACEOUS EARTH AS NATURAL INSECTICIDE IN PROTECTION OF STORED PRODUCTS

Abstract

Rad opisuje laboratorijsko testiranje djelotvornosti dijatomejske zemlje (DZ) u obliku prašiva Protect-it® u funkciji prirodnog insekticida za suzbijanje odraslog oblika hrđastog brašnara Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens) te stadija ličinki duhanara Lasioderma serricorne (Fabricius) i kestenjastog brašnara Tribolium castaneum (Herbst). Cilj rada je testirati učinkovitost dijatomejske zemlje te pokušati osvijestiti poljoprivredne proizvođače kako bi implementirali prirodne insekticide u poljoprivrednoj proizvodnji. Maksimalni mortalitet hrđastog brašnara je postignut najvećom koncentracijom (0,04 g/50 g pšenice) nakon ekspozicije od 7 dana. Prašivo Protect-it® je utjecalo na smanjenje broja živih odraslih jedinki razvijenih nakon tretiranja ličinki vrsta L. serricorne i T. castaneum, pri čemu je broj razvijenih odraslih smanjen za oko 2 (kod L. serricorne pri koncentraciji od 0,02g/50 g pšenice) do 2,3 puta (kod T. castaneum pri 0,01 g/50 g pšenice) u odnosu na kontrolne uzorke. DZ Protect-it® može se primijeniti kao uspješna preventivna metoda u zaštiti uskladištenih žitarica.The paper describes laboratory testing of Diatomaceous earth (DE) powder efficacy as a natural insecticide against the adult form of rusty grain beetle Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens) and larval stage of cigarette beetle Lasioderma serricorne (Fabricius) and red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum (Herbst). The aim of this paper is to test the effectiveness of diatomaceous earth preparation Protect-it® and to raise awareness of farmers to implement natural insecticides in agricultural production. The highest concentration (0.04 g/50 g wheat) reached the maximum mortality rate of rusty grain beetle after exposure of 7 days. Protect-it® powder had impact on reduction of alive adult units developed from treated larvae of cigarette beetle and red flour beetle, wherein a number of developed cigarette beetle adults reduced to about two times (at 0.02 g/50 g wheat) and red flour beetle adults 2.3 times (at 0.01 g/50 g wheat) respectively in comparison to the control. Protect-it® can be used as a successful preventive method in protection of stored grain