Lemon peel essential oil and its nano-formulation to control Agrotis ipsilon (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Due to excessive use of synthetic pesticides the pest resistance developed along with pesticide residues accumulation in crops. Therefore, many nations are switching from chemical-based agriculture to "green" agriculture for pest control. The destructive pest black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a polyphagous species that economically lead to extensive loss of a broad range of crops including corn, cotton, wheat, and many vegetables through the damage of foliar and roots. In this study, lemon peel essential oil (LPEO) was subjected to nano-formulation using polyethylene glycol as nanocarrier. The lethal activity of LPEO and its nano-form (LPEO-NPs) were tested against A. ipsilon second larval instar using feeding bioassay at different concentrations. Growth and developmental parameters, including larval and pupal duration, larval and pupal mortality, malformations % and adult emergence were evaluated. Results showed that LPEO exhibited insecticidal activity and causes different levels of effects on the development of A. ipsilon according to its concentration and formulation. In addition, at 75 mg/ml LPEO and LPEO-NPs significantly increased the larval mortality to 80.00% and 90.00%, respectively. The overall data revealed that insecticidal toxicity of LPEO was increased by nano-formulation.