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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Hilo, Hawaii » Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center » Tropical Crop and Commodity Protection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #296836
Title: Rice weevil response to basil oil fumigation

Author
item Follett, Peter
item RIVERA-LEONG, KEAO - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA)
item Myers, Roxana

Submitted to: Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/29/2013
Publication Date: 12/7/2013
Citation: Follett, P.A., Rivera-Leong, K., Myers, R.Y. 2013. Rice weevil response to basil oil fumigation. Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology. 17(2):119-121.

Interpretive Summary: Basil oil is a volatile plant essential oil that is known to have insecticidal activity against rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.), and other stored product pests. Basil oil fumigation caused high mortality in adult rice weevils when weevils were exposed in empty sealed 1 L plastic container. However, when basil oil was placed in packaged rice, weevil mortality was low and reproduction was not affected. Effectiveness of plant essential oil fumigation should be conducted under realistic conditions to avoid experimental artifacts and misleading results.

Technical Abstract: Basil oil, Ocimum basilicum L., is a volatile plant essential oil that is known to have insecticidal activity against stored product pests such as rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.). Basil oil was diluted in acetone and applied to a sponge held inside a tea strainer for fumigations in containers with and without rice. Basil oil fumigation (3 ml, 10% concentration) caused high mortality in adult rice weevils when weevils were exposed in air in a sealed 1 L plastic container. However, when basil oil was placed in packaged rice, weevil mortality was low and reproduction was not affected. Effectiveness of plant essential oil fumigation should be conducted under realistic conditions to avoid experimental artifacts and misleading results.