Sulcatone as a Plant-Derived Volatile Organic Compound for the Control of the Maize Weevil and Its Associated Phytopathogenic Fungi in Stored Maize

Stored maize is frequently attacked by different pests, such as insects and microorganisms. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the bioactivities of sulcatone (6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one) against the maize weevil <i>Sitophilus zeamais</i> and the phytopathogenic fungi <i>Fusarium verticillioides</i>, <i>Aspergillus flavus</i>, and <i>A. parasiticus.</i> Sulcatone showed a strong repellent effect with a maximum value of -92.1 ± 3.2% at 40 µM in two-choice olfactometer bioassays and an LC₉₅ value of 17.2 µL/L air (95% 16.5-18.1) in a fumigant toxicity experiment. The antifungal effect of sulcatone was evaluated through the fumigant method, reporting MIC values of 3.5, 3.8, and 3.9 mM for <i>F. verticillioides</i>, <i>A. parasiticus</i>, and <i>A. flavus</i>, respectively. Additionally, a silo-bag experiment containing all pests was conducted to evaluate the potential use of sulcatone in a real storage system. Sulcatone caused 71.69 ± 1.57% weevil mortality in silo-bags and proved to be effective as a fungicidal and antimycotoxigenic agent since both ergosterol and fumonisin B₁ content were significantly reduced by 60% in silo-bags containing sulcatone. This study demonstrated that sulcatone has the potential to be used for the control of both insects and fungi of stored maize, without affecting the germination of grains.