Harran Tarım ve Gıda Bilimleri Dergisi, cilt.28, sa.1, ss.49-59, 2024 (Hakemli Dergi)
Pesticides are widely used to prevent damage caused by pests during the storage of agricultural products under warehouse conditions. However, in recent years, alternative methods for controlling pests have gained significance due to the emergence of toxic effects of pesticides on non-target organisms. Recently, Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is widely utilized for control storage pests. Therefore, it is considered that a local Diatomaceous Earth Almina could be used for the potential control of Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L., 1758) (Coleoptera: Silvanidae) and Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say, 1831) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Almina® DE was applied at varying doses (125, 250, 500, 750, and 1000 ppm) (mg DE/ kg grains), and mortality rates were assessed at 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours. The highest mortality rates achieved were 100% for O. surinamensis after 96 hours with the 1000 ppm dose and for A. obtectus after 48 hours with doses of 500, 750, and 1000 ppm DE. In addition, the lowest LT50 and LT90 values were determined as 20.5, and 45.6 hours at 1000 ppm for O. surinamensis. For A. obtectus, LT50 and LT90 values at 250 and 125 ppm were 14.2 and 56.5 hours, and 51.4 and 95.7 hours, respectively. Consequently, Almina® DE can be considered a good alternative to synthetic chemicals to control two important stored product pests, O. surinamensis and A. obtectus.