Effect of Entomopathogens on Angoumois Grain Moth and Seed Viability

The laboratory experiment on the effect of entomopathogens on the Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella Olivier revealed that the significantly highest percent adult mortality (72.33%) of S. cerealella was recorded in deltamethrin at 0.04 mL/kg after 72 hours of treatment. In case of entomopathogens, the treatment of M. anisopliae 1.15 WP (1.0 × 108 CFU/g) + diatomaceous earth @ 20 + 5 g/kg was found to be the next effective treatment having 65.80% adult mortality. The significantly lowest percent adult mortality (38.33%) of S. cerealella was recorded in Metarhizium anisopliae 1.15 WP (1.0 × 10⁸ CFU/g) at 10 g/kg after 72 hours of treatment. In case of adult emergence, the significantly lowest adult emergence (2.00) was recorded in deltamethrin at 0.04 mL/kg. The significantly highest seed germination (91.33%) was recorded in treatment of B. bassiana 1.15 WP (1.0 × 10⁸ CFU/g) + diatomaceous earth at 20 + 5 g/kg and M. anisopliae 1.15 WP (1.0 × 10⁸ CFU/g) + diatomaceous earth at 20 + 5 g/kg (91.00%). The significantly lowest seed moisture content (8.24%) was recorded in B. bassiana 1.15 WP (1.0 × 10⁸ CFU/g) + diatomaceous earth at 20 + 5 g/kg and it was statistically at par with M. anisopliae 1.15 WP (1.0 × 10⁸ CFU/g) + diatomaceous earth at 20 + 5 g/kg (8.41%).