Alternative locust control with a dilutable linseed oil emulsion

In this study, we improved a pesticidal formulation based on linseed oil for the control of gregarious locusts. Lab experiments and a semifield experiment conducted with Schistocerca gregaria revealed a high toxicity of this oil emulsion. This emulsion is harmless for humans and biodegradable. AbstractLocust swarm control is still a main topic in agriculture and is often based on the extensive use of chemical agents that can be problematic for the environment and human health. Currently, only a few alternative control agents are available on the market, such as neem oil, the fungusMetarhizium sp., and the microsporidianParanosema locustae. In this study, we improved the formulation of a botanical insecticide that is based on linseed oil and was found to be effective against the desert locust,Schistocerca gregaria. To make sure that linseed oil is most effective, we first tested several natural plant oils in a comparative laboratory study. Linseed oil performed best and resulted in 100% mortality within only 2  days after a single spray treatment. However, this linseed oil formulation contains three expensive essential oils, thus we further improved it to avoid costly essential oils. A much lower concentration of linseed oil was also found to be highly effective and killed adultS. gregaria within 3  days in an experiment performed under semifield conditions. Furthermore, a concentrated stock solution of this botanical insecticide was developed to increase stability and red...
Source: Food and Energy Security - Category: Food Science Authors: Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research