Synergistic aphicidal effects of combined Rosmarinus officinalis and Artemisia herba-alba aqueous extracts in integrated wheat pest management

Abstract:

The escalating problem of aphid resistance to conventional insecticides demands innovative management solutions that exploit multiple modes of action simultaneously. This research investigated the potential synergistic interactions between aqueous extracts of Rosmarinus officinalis L. and Artemisia herba-alba Asso when applied in combination against Sitobion avenae Fabricius in wheat fields near Giza, Egypt, during 2023-2024. Individual and combined extracts at 5, 10, and 15% concentrations were evaluated for mortality, repellency, antifeedant activity, fecundity reduction, and population suppression using a randomized complete block design with four replications. Results demonstrated that combined applications consistently exceeded expected additive effects, with synergy ratios of 1.18-1.32 across parameters at 10% concentration. Combined extracts at 10% achieved 82.4% mortality compared with 58.3% and 65.8% for individual R. officinalis and A. herba-alba, respectively. Multi-parameter radar analysis confirmed that combined treatments outperformed individual extracts across all five bioactivity dimensions. These findings support the development of dual-extract botanical formulations for integrated S. avenae management.