ARCHIVES
VOL. 11, ISSUE 1 (2026)
Carrier selection and dose optimization of Himalayan cypress (Cupressus torulosa) needle essential oil for stored grain pest control
Authors
Srijita Ganguly, Senthilkumar N
Abstract
Storage pests are a major nuisance and pose a serious threat to a
country’s food security, causing substantial post-harvest losses every year. In
this context, essential oil-based pest management approaches are considered
effective and environmentally safe alternatives to synthetic pesticides.
Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of Cupressus
torulosa (Cupressaceae) essential oil formulations obtained from two
different locations i.e. Ogla (CTO) and Munsyari (CTM) in Uttarakhand, India
against three noxious stored-grain pests, namely Sitophilus oryzae
(rice), Rhyzopertha dominica (dal), and Carpophilus dimidiatus
(peanut).Six different doses of essential oil (EO), ranging from 5 to 30 µL/58
cm², were administered with and without carrier materials to determine their
efficacy and identify the most suitable carrier at a constant concentration of
1000 ppm. The knockdown time (KT₅₀) values and mortality rates for each pest at
each dose were recorded. The CTM formulation exhibited a highly effective dose
(LD₉₀) at 0.515 µL/cm², achieving 92% mortality within 48 hours, whereas the
CTO formulation reached LD₉₀ at 0.7 µL/cm² within 74 hours. Furthermore, when
effective doses of both CTM and CTO essential oils were tested with various
carrier materials including C. torulosa tablets, chalk powder, liquid
paraffin, plaster of Paris (PoP) cylinders, filter paper, and cigar filters,
the cigar filter emerged as the most effective carrier for EO delivery.
Download
Pages:467-472
How to cite this article:
Srijita Ganguly, Senthilkumar N "Carrier selection and dose optimization of Himalayan cypress (<i>Cupressus torulosa</i>) needle essential oil for stored grain pest control". International Journal of Entomology Research, Vol 11, Issue 1, 2026, Pages 467-472
Download Author Certificate
Please enter the email address corresponding to this article submission to download your certificate.