2026 Vol-6 Issue-2 | CONCENTRATION-DEPENDENT INSECTICIDAL, OVICIDALAND SEEDPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF BOTANICAL SEED OILS AGAINST BRUCHUS BAUDNI IN STORED SENEGALIA SENEGAL SEEDS

Bruchus baudni is a concealed seed-feeding bruchid that reduces the storage quality and planting value of Senegalia senegal seeds. This study evaluated the concentrationdependent insecticidal efficacy and seed safety of neem (Azadirachta indica), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus), mahogany (Khaya senegalensis), and moringa (Moringa oleifera) seed oils against Bruchus baudni infesting Senegalia senegal seeds under a completely randomized bioassay. Four oil concentrations (0.01, 0.10, 1.00 and 2.00% v/w), aluminium phosphide (0.125%) and an untreated control were tested in triplicate using 100 g seed lots infested with emerged adults. Adult mortality, fecundity, egg hatch/progeny emergence, immature-stage mortality, seed perforation, visible damage, weight loss, germination and seedling growth were analysed by analysis of variance followed by Tukey mean separation at α = 0.05. Adult mortality increased with concentration and exposure period (p < 0.05). At 72 hours after treatment, the 1.00–2.00% oil treatments produced high mortality responses, with 9.80–10.00 dead adults out of 10 insects per replicate (98–100% mortality), compared with the untreated control (3.99 ± 0.57). Fecundity and progeny emergence were significantly reduced (P < 0.05) at concentrations of 1.00–2.00% from 1.00 to 1.38 compared with 4.02 ± 0.18 in the control, while egg hatch/progeny emergence declined to 1.36 to 1.95 compared with 8.42 ± 0.41. Seed perforation and visible damage were reduced to zero or near-zero at 2.00%, and germination increased to 8.93 to 9.46 compared with 3.46 ± 0.47 in untreated seeds. Botanical seed oils, 2.00% neem and moringa, suppressed B. baudni development while preserving seed viability.