Effect of Plant-derived Smoke on Germination Percent of Treated Wheat Grain after Hours Exposer Period Used against Rice Weevil (Sitophilus oryzae L.)
Alok Singh *
Department of Entomology, Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, U.P., India.
Usha Yadav
Naini Agricultural Institute Department of Entomology, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, U.P., India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Rice weevil (Sitophilus oryzae) is one of the significant pests and has caused serious damage in wheat storage. The use of synthetic pesticides to control them has had negative effect on environment, human & animals. The study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of plant-derived smoke in reducing grain damage, weight loss, and improving germination percentage of stored wheat grains infested by rice weevil (Sitophilus oryzae L.). Laboratory experiments were performed at SHUATS, Prayagraj during 2024 to April 2025, using various botanical treatments including Neem, Eucalyptus, Curry leaves, Bay leaves, Orange peel, Clove & Camphor, and a chemical control (Coragen 10 mg), under airtight storage for six months. Results revealed that smoke treatment from Clove & Camphor (T6) significantly minimized grain damage and weight loss, followed by Neem (T1) and Eucalyptus (T2) smoke treatments. The untreated control (T0) showed the highest levels of grain damage and weight loss. Additionally, germination percentage of wheat seeds was not adversely affected by any of the smoke treatments; rather, a notable enhancement was observed in treatments T6 and T1. These findings suggest that plant-derived smoke, particularly from Clove & Camphor, offers a promising eco-friendly strategy for managing S. oryzae, preserving seed quality, and reducing post-harvest losses during storage. The order of effectiveness of botanicals is ranked as Clove & Camphor>Neem leaves>Eucalyptus>Bay leaves>Orange peel>Curry leaves respectively. Finally, these findings demonstrated that certain plant smokes possess strong insecticidal properties against rice weevils, indicating their potential as effective and eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic fumigants for stored wheat grain protection.
Keywords: Coragen, germination, grain damage, rice weevil, smoking, storage, weight loss