The safe storage for seeds using some natural products

Abstract

Seed considers the basic and crucial input for agricultural production. Maintenance of high seed quality from harvest until planting is of almost importance in a seed production programme. During storage the quality of seeds get deteriorated in a number of ways of which infestation by the storage pests contribute a bulk share. Callosobuchus maculatus is one of the most dangerous stores insects which causes a great damage for seeds of family Fabaceae such as cowpea, bean and others during the storage period. C. maculatus is known to resulted in 100% loss of stored cowpea. Various techniques and control methods depended heavily on the use of synthetic insecticides were used to control attack by insect pests. Due to increasing problems on insect resistance and impacts on non-target organisms, the research has been shifted towards using natural products in crop protection. Considering the factors discussed above; the present work was designed to evaluate the efficacy of three plant oils; Trigonella foenum-graecum (Fenugreek), Panax ginseng (Ginseng) and Origanum majorana (Marjoram) and the bio-insecticide abamectin (isolated from Streptomyces avermitilis). The effect of these natural product and their mixtures was studied on cowpea weevil; on mitotic division and chromosomes of plant seeds using chromosomal aberration assay. Cyt