Contact Toxicity of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Essential Oil Against Green Pea Aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) on Pea: Dose-Response Bioassay

Abstract

Pea has been grown for over 10 000 years. It has been the subject of a great number of researches over the past six centuries, including the works of Gregor Mendel. However, to this day, a large number of questions remain about the origin and diversity of pea species, their morphological-and-physiological and ecological-and-biological features, the formation of optimal conditions of growing for both food and fodder purposes. (Poltoretskyi et al., 2022). In addition, the optimization of growing conditions for both food and fodder purposes remains a major challenge, particularly under changing environmental conditions and increasing biotic stresses. Among these constraints, insect pests such as aphids represent a significant limiting factor in pea production, causing direct damage through sap feeding and indirect losses by transmitting plant viruses. Conventional control strategies rely heavily on chemical insecticides, which raise concerns regarding environmental pollution, pest resistance, and negative impacts on non-target organisms. Consequently, there is growing interest in developing sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives. In this context, the use of plant-derived products, such as essential oils, has emerged as a promising approach for pest management. The present study investigates the effect of Eucalyptus camaldulensis essential oil on green pea aphids as a potential biological alternative to chemical insecticides, contributing to integrated pest management strategies and sustainable agricultural practices