Storage insect pests and their infestation on crop seeds are of great concern in quality seed production programs. Damage caused by these insect pests is absolute and irrecoverable, since the pest feeding causes qualitative as well as quantitative losses, such as seed weight loss, loss of seed viability due to poor germination capacity of seeds, poor seedling vigour, invasion by secondary pathogens etc., leading to crop loss. Essential oils extracted from different aromatic and medicinal plants especially act as an insecticide against these storage pests and are considered as an eco-friendly pest management option. Hence, essential oil extracted from such plants can offer an effective solution for controlling storage pests with minimal health impacts and contradicting insect pest resurgence issues.
essential oil, Seeds, storage pests, management
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