Evaluating the Efficacy of Boric Acid and Natural Ingredients against Sitophilus granarius: A Sustainable Approach to Wheat Protection

Agriculture is a vital sector in the Indian economy, employing 56% of the workforce and contributing to economic growth and poverty alleviation. It also enhances earnings in the non-agricultural sector by expanding commercial crops and promoting exports (Dev, S.M. & Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research. (2012)). Pest and insect infestations cause agrarian losses, wasting natural resources, harming the economy and ecology, and reducing global food availability. These losses disrupt production, reduce crop quality, and negatively impact financial outcomes as consumers demand higher-quality products (Junaid and Gokce, 2024)

Triticum aestivum, an ancient crop essential for the human diet, is experiencing increased demand due to its affordable finished goods. India loses 10% of its food grains after harvest due to improper storage, insects, rodents, and microbes. Infested grains cause significant economic losses, including food contamination and waste, rendering them unfit for human consumption. Around 500 insect species infest stored grain products, with nearly 100 causing financial losses. Almost 100 pest species that damage stored goods result insubstantial financial losses (Kumar, 2017). It has been shown that pests harm 20% of crops post-harvest; in developing countries, the percentage of losses can sometimes exceed 80%. Stored insects inflict considerable quantitative and qualitative economic damage to agricultural produce. In addition to the issues surrounding the harmful effects of pesticides on humans and animals, as well as environmental contamination, pesticides are used to protect crops and stored commodities from dangerous insects (USE OF SILICA BORIC ACID MIXTURE TO CONTROL THE KHAPRA BEETLE (TROGODERMA GRANARIUM, DERMESTIDAE: COLEOPTERA) ON STORED WHEAT SEEDS. PLANT ARCHIVES. (N.d.). (No date), no date). In both industrialized and developing countries, insect pests account for a significant portion of crop losses. More than 10,000 insect species, 30,000 weed species, and 100,000 diseases (caused by fungi, viruses, bacteria, and other microbes) are believed to affect food plants worldwide (Dhaliwal, Jindal and Mohindru, 2015).

Sources in the agricultural industry include wastewater, livestock dung, insecticides, and fertilizer. Toxicants such as heavy metals (cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) and pesticides (insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides), which can penetrate and accumulate through the food chain, are causing harmful health issues like lung cancer, renal failure, osteoporosis, and heart failure, leading to acute and chronic illnesses (Alengebawy et al., 2021).

Four insect species, including the granary weevil, can grow inside Triticum aestivum kernels on endosperm and live on the grain while stored. The granary weevil, a damaging insect, prefers moderate climates and can grow up to three-sixteenths of an inch in length. Its head has a long, thin snout with mouthparts at the end, and bigger oval punctures characterize its pronotum. Adult granary weevils typically takeover four weeks to complete their life cycle and can survive for seven to eight months. They are one of the most damaging insects for stored grains (Alanazi, 2023). The granary weevil, Sitophilus granarius L.,is a pest of Triticum aestivum and attacks dried grain and bean products. Adult weevils range in colour from black to chestnut-brown and have elbowed antennae distally. The head, stretched into a thin rostrum, contains sensory organs and receptors for smell, taste, and vision. The antennae are often carried in extended positions during travel (El-Ghany and El-Aziz, 2017). Boric acid (H BO ) has along history of use in pest management, including controlling ants, cockroaches, and grain weevils. 3 3 Registered in 1983, it has been used in stomach poison, dry powder, and bait formulations. Insects are drawn to boric acid, which attaches to their legs. However, due to its acute effects, including mutagenicity, eye and skin irritation, and oral and dermal toxicity, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies boric acid as moderately acutely hazardous (Evaluating the effectiveness of different concentrations of boric acid on the pink and spiny bollworms under laboratory conditions: Vol. Vol 6.; 2019:485-497. (N.d.)., no date). Boron is a non-volatile, low-toxicity mineral found in soils, aquatic habitats, and human diets. It is a necessary nutrient for humans and plants and is often used as a low-toxicity insecticide to manage pests like insects, mites, fungi, algae, and certain vascular plants. Boric acid is a safer alternative to synthetic pesticides and can be used in bait compositions (Alanazi, 2023).

Novel pesticides are abundant in higher plants. Botanical insecticides may be more environmentally friendly than synthetic ones. Farmers and small businesses can also utilize these insecticides because they are less expensive and simple to process (Abubaker, 2021).

Laurus nobilis: India'shigher cereal consumption necessitates non-insecticide management methods, such as essential oils and dried bay leaf, for pest control and post-harvest crop protection, as even a small pesticide residue can significantly impact grain intake (Chahal, Bansal and Kaur, 2016)) . Laurus nobilis is a natural pesticide that can reduce environmental and human health risks, replacing synthetic pesticides. Botanical pesticides are increasingly popular, with some plant components used as green insecticides worldwide (Use of aromatic plant extracts as bio-insecticides for the control of stored-product insect, Sitophilus Granarius. (n.d.)., no date).

Piper nigrum: Black pepper, a widely accessible herb in Nigeria and West Africa, offers new ways to combat insects, reduce cross-resistance, and provide ideas for creating target-specific compounds (Emeribe, Ohazurike and Okorie, 2016). Numerous plant compounds, particularly essential oils, have had their poisonous qualities against various stored grain pests assessed. Numerous studies on black pepper fruits have demonstrated their high effectiveness as a pesticide against various pests. In addition, their valuable culinary spicy flavour has made them economically significant). (Toxicity of three chemical extracts of black pepper fruits against two stored grain insect pests. Toxicity of three chemical extracts of black pepper fruits against two stored grain insect pests: Vol. Vol 6. www.ijpsi.org; 2017:20-29. (n.d.)., no date).

Azadirachta indica: Synthetic chemical pesticides are the primary method for controlling pest infestations in stored grains. However, plant materials with insecticidal qualities remain a viable, biodegradable, and affordable solution. Azadirachtin, an environmentally friendly, short-lived, selective, and mildly toxic insecticide, has gained global interest due to its potential (Danga et al., 2015). Plants like neem have poisonous, repellent, and antifeedant properties against various insect pests. These plants are simple and inexpensive to prepare, with bioactive metabolites activating insect receptors. Pest control or repelling organic extracts from plants protects with minimal ecological effects, keeping pests away from treated (Use of neem and garlic dried plant powders for controlling some stored grains pests. Use of neem and garlic dried plant powders for controlling some stored grains pests Egyptian Journal of Biological Pest Control: Vol. 2015;25(2):507-512. (N.d.)., no date). Syzygium aromaticum: One of the insects that can cause significant financial losses to stored grains globally is the granary weevil, Sitophilus granarius (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). In insects, essential oils and their components have lethal and sub-lethal effects like phagoinhibition, irritability, repellence, and biocide activity (Plata-Rueda et al., 2018). Plant oils have strong insecticidal properties against various insects found in preserved goods. The study aimed to assess clove plant oils' toxicity to pests and their insecticidal activity (Makarem et al., 2017).