Document Type : Original Research
Authors
1
Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
2
Department of Pesticide Research, Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran.
10.48311/jcp.2026.119558.82910
Abstract
The rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae L., and the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), are major storage pests with a global distribution, causing significant damage to agricultural products. Increasing attention has been directed toward the use of plant essential oils as natural and eco-friendly alternatives. However, their low water solubility, high susceptibility to oxidation, and instability limit their direct application. In this regard, advanced formulation technologies offer an effective approach to enhance the stability and efficacy of essential oils for pest control. In the present study, the essential oil of Cuminum cyminum L. was encapsulated by in situ polymerization of an oil/water (O/W) emulsion at the nanoscale. The contact toxicity and repellent activity of the essential oil were evaluated against S. oryzae and T. castaneum before and after formulation. All experiments were conducted with four replications, including a control treatment, under controlled conditions at 25 ± 1 °C, 65 ± 5% relative humidity, and in the dark. The results indicated that in contact toxicity assays using the spraying method, the nanoformulation demonstrated superior efficacy. Moreover, repellent activity assays revealed that while the pure essential oil showed stronger short-term repellency (up to 6 hours post-exposure), the formulated oil exhibited significantly higher repellency after 24 hours. Overall, nanoencapsulation improved the contact toxicity and prolonged repellency compared with the pure essential oil against stored-product pests. Therefore, these results highlight the promising potential of plant-based nanoformulations for sustainable pest management.
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