Isolation, Identification and Evaluation of the Effective Phyto-Compounds for The Management of Insects Infesting Stored Groundnuts (Arachis Hypogaea L.)

The efficacy of various botanicals was tested against the major pest of groundnuts, the peanut moth Corcyra cephalonica, in Lab conditions for one year. Essential oils isolated by Clevengers Apparatus, @1% (v/w) of Pongamia glabra (Karanja Oil), Azadirachta Indica (Neem Oil), Brassica campestris (Mustard Oil) , Crown oil (Resin of Shorea robusta) , Cymbopogon nardus (Citronella) oil , Dalbergia sisso (Sisso Oil), Oryza sativa (Rice bran oil), Helianthus annus(Sunflower Oil) , Ricinus communis (Castor Oil), Aegle marmelos (Bael Oil), Sesamum indicum (Til Oil), etc were tested for their bioefficacy against the major pest, of groundnuts, Corcyra cephalonica , in Laboratory conditions for one year. Out of all these plant products Cymbopogon nardus (Citronella) oil and Crown oil (Resin of Shorea robusta) gave absolute pod/Kernel protection for one year. The LD50 values were found out to be - 0.5% v/w. Spectroscopic GC MS analysis of Citronella oil (Cymbopogon nardus), lead to the identification of D-Limonene, Neral, Citral and 2,6-octadien-1-ol,3,7-dimethyl acetate (Z) as essential main constituents. Spectroscopic GC MS analysis of Crown oil (Resin of Shorea robusta) are identified as 2-Ethyl-oxetane (RT 2.223), as the major product. It may be due to the aromatic nature of these phyto-products. Hence these phyto-products may be used as fumigants or insect repellants against Corcyra cephalonica and can be included in the package of practices to save stored groundnut in storage.