The aim of this work was to evaluate the repellence and toxicity of Cyperus iria L., at beginning of flowering, to Sitophilus oryzae (L.). Two bioassays were used to evaluate the powders produced from the roots, shoots and inflorescence of C. iria, mixed with wheat grains in concentrations of 0, 1, 2 and 5%. A third bioassay evaluated the repellence of the aqueous extracts produced from the powders of C. iria impregnated in paper in concentrations of 0, 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 mg of plant cm-2. The powders produced with any structure of C. iria repelled S. oryzae. The repellence and toxicity depended on concentration and plant structure used in the production of the powder. The repellence was higher with 5% of root and lower with any other concentration of inflorescence. With roots, it was present for periods longer than 150 days. The mortality and reduction in progeny were higher when the roots of C. iria were tested. All treatments reduced the progeny of S. oryzae for up to 60 days, with the exception of the concentration of 2% of the root. When aqueous extracts from the structures of C. iria were employed, repellence was verified for roots at 0.1 and 0.5 mg cm-2, for aerial parts at 0.5 mg cm-2, and flowers at 0.5 and 1.0 mg cm-2. The treatment of grains using powders from C. iria was more efficient in the control of S. oryzae than the extracts applied on paper.
insecta; biology; growth inhibition; juvenile hormone analogues
