A review of plant materials used for controlling insect pests of stored products (NRI Bulletin 65)

摘要

The use of plant materials for the protection of stored products against insect pests is reviewed. Following an outline of the different methods used for assessing their insecticidal activity, over 120 plants and plant products are listed alphabetically with a brief description of traditional uses (where appropriate), and a summary of the laboratory data currently available; where possible, information on constituents and toxicology is also included. Of these, only a few, all species in the genera Azadirachta, Acarus, Chenopodium, Eucalyptus, Mentha, Ocimum, Piper and Tetradenia, have been sufficiently tested in the laboratory to give an indication of their potential usefulness as stored product protectants. The neem tree, Azadirachta indica, is considered in a separate section as it has been more extensively studied than the other plants; the traditional uses of neem, its constituents, effects, pests and diseases, toxicity, field trials and commercial applications are outlined, and results of laboratory trials are summarized. It is concluded that more rigorous testing is required if the considerable potential for botanical protectants is to be realized . Standardized assessments of residual effectiveness against all stages of the insect's life cycle need to be undertaken, and mammalian toxicity requires more detailed evaluation. More attention may need to be given to the characterization and quantification of chemical constituents, and to variations which may occur in different karyotypes. It may also be necessary to determine the availability of appropriate extraction and application technology if the use of plant protectants is to be assimilated in developing countries.