title: Investigating contact toxicity of Geranium and Artemisia essential oils on Bemisia tabaci Gen.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Gen. (B. tabaci), is one of the most important pests of various greenhouse crops in Iran. Nowadays, chemical insecticides are broadly used for control of the pests that causes risk to consumer's health. For the first time, contact toxicity of Pelargonium roseum Andrews and Artemisia sieberi Besser essential oils on B. tabaci and its possible application against the whitefly was evaluated in 2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  Essential oil with concentrations of 2500, 1250, 125, and 12 ppm were used. Infested leaves of greenhouse cucumber were treated by mentioned concentrations. After 24 hours, mortality of B. tabaci was recorded and compared after correcting by Abbot's formula.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RESULTS showed that all concentrations of the essential oil could significantly reduce population of B. tabaci compared with the control treatment. Phytotoxicity of the treated leaves were recorded after 24, 48, and 72 hours and compared with the control. Concentrations of 2500, 1250, and 125 ppm caused severe phytotoxicity on greenhouse cucumber leaves and therefore are not suitable for greenhouse application. Phytotoxicity of 12 ppm was relatively low.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This data implicated suitable protective effects of the essential oils to the pest infestation. Therefore, essential oils distillated from Geranium and Artemisia could be applied to control B. tabaci in greenhouse cucumber at V/V 12 ppm.
authors: Department of Plant Protection, Ramin Agricultural and Natural Resources University, I.R. Iran.
authors: Fatemeh
authors: F
authors: Yarahmadi
authors: Department of Plant Protection, Ramin Agricultural and Natural Resources University, I.R. Iran.
authors: Ali
authors: A
authors: Rajabpour
authors: Department of Plant Protection, Ramin Agricultural and Natural Resources University, I.R. Iran.
authors: Nooshin
authors: N
authors: Zandi Sohani
authors: Department of Plant Protection, Ramin Agricultural and Natural Resources University, I.R. Iran.
authors: Leila
authors: L
authors: Ramezani
keywords: Artemisia sieberi; Essential Oils; Greenhouse Cucumber; Organic Product; Pelargonium roseum; Potato Whitefly; Sweet