Efficacy of Indigenous Plant Powders against Pulse Beetle <i>Callosobruchus analis</i> (Fabricius) in Stored Mung Bean under Laboratory Conditions

Pulse beetle Callosobruchus analis (Fabricius) is a serious pest responsible for substantial quantitative and qualitative losses in stored mung bean (Vigna radiata L.). The present study evaluated the efficacy of six indigenous plant powders such as neem (Azadirachta indica), turmeric (Curcuma longa), garlic (Allium sativum), ajwaen (Trachyspermum ammi), tumha (Citrullus colocynthis), and bitter cress (Caralluma tuberculata) against C. analis under laboratory conditions. The experiment was conducted using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with five replications. Plant powders were tested at six concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0% w/w). Adult mortality was recorded after 24, 48, 72 hours and 7 days, and corrected mortality was calculated using Abbott’s formula. Results indicated that mortality increased with increasing concentration and exposure time. Garlic and turmeric powders were the most effective treatments, producing the highest adult mortality of 76.6% and 74.6%, respectively, after seven days at 3% concentration. These treatments also significantly reduced oviposition, adult emergence, grain infestation, and weight loss compared with the untreated control. Neem and tumha showed moderate efficacy, whereas ajwaen and bitter cress were comparatively less effective. The findings suggest that garlic and turmeric powders have strong insecticidal potential and could serve as environmentally friendly alternatives to synthetic insecticides for the management of C. analis in stored mung bean.