Comparison of Insecticidal Efficacy of Kaolin Powder and Mineral Oil with Diazinon Insecticide to Control Dubas Bug, Ommatissus lybicus (Hemiptera: Tropiduchidae) in Fars and Kerman provinces

Ommatissus lybicus (Hemiptera: Tropiduchidae), is a key pest of date palm in Iran. It causes heavy damages to date palm trees through sucking sap from tender leaves and fruit bunches and secretion high amounts of honeydew which result in trees weakens and lowering the quality and quantity of fruits. The main goal of this study was to compare the insecticidal efficacy of kaolin powder (3%, 5% and 7%) and three formulation of mineral oil (at 1.5% concentration) with Diazinon insecticide (2 L/1000L) against the first generation of Dubas Bug nymphs in Fars and Kerman provinces during 2013 and 2014 in Iran. In both regions, significant differences were observed between treatments in case of the nymph's percentage mortality (P≤0.01). Application of Kaolin at 3%, 5%, and 7% concentrations caused 35.2±11.7, 58.2±9.4 and 61.5±5.4% mortality in nymphs on Fars and 49.5±6.3, 70.5±2.3 and 80±2.9% mortality in Kerman province respectively. Also, nymphs’ mortality by volk mineral oil in Kerman was 26.4±4.7% while nymphs’ mortality by Partonar and Aria-Shimi mineral oils in Fars province were 41.7±12 and 39.4±12.43%, respectively. In conclusion, all three used mineral oil were not effective against nymphs of Dubus bug, but kaolin (7 percent) as a biorational compound, would be a feasible alternatives for Diazinon insecticide in Dubus bug IPM program in studied areas.