Control biológico del gorgojo del maíz (Sitophilus zeamais) utilizando extractos de diferente polaridad del hongo comestible Pleurotus ostreatus.

Abstract

The maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais) is a pest that infests maize grain during drying and storage, affecting 25% of the grain quality. Its management is carried out with synthetic insecticides such as phosphines, which can cause severe damage to the environment and human health, including poisoning. Therefore, the objective of this research was to determine the efficiency of Pleurotus ostreatus with ethyl acetate and methanol extracts for the control of the maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais) in maize plantations in San Gerardo town in Guano city Chimborazo province. Efficiency evaluation analyses were conducted with bioassays at concentrations of 1%, 3%, and 5% of each extract in triplicate. The survival analysis of maize weevils was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method, Log-rank test, and Abbott's percentage. Statistical and ecotoxicological analysis was performed with Graph Prism and Minitab software. The results showed that the ethyl acetate extract with oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) had an insecticidal effect of 85.55%, considered high by the FAO, with 77 deaths recorded during the 72-hour observation period. In contrast, the methanol extract with oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) had an insecticidal effect of 53.33%, with 42 deaths recorded at the end of the observation period, which falls within the FAO's proposed lower insecticidal efficiency range. Finally, the statistical analysis demonstrated that the ethyl acetate extract had a greater pesticidal effect for the control of the maize weevil compared to the methanol extract.