TOXICITY AND BIOCHEMICAL EFFECTS OF SOME SAFE ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS AGAINST PTEROCHLOROIDES PERSICAE CHLOD. INDIVIDUALS (ORDER HOMOPTERA: FAM. APHIDIDAE) ON PEACH TREES

The present work was to study the efficacy of some safe alterna­tive materials against Pterochloroides persicae Chlod. (Ord. Homoptera, Fam. Aph.ididae), also the biochemical effects of such materials on the aphid. All tested alternatives reduced P. persicae population. The use of entomopathogenic fungi and yeast as a biocontrol agent, natural (vege­table) oil, K.Z. oil, potassium sulfate + detergent against P. persicae. All reduced significantly the number of P. persicae on trees compared to the untreated ones. The mixture of potassium sulfate + detergent treated trees revealed the lowest number of aphid individuals followed by Meta­rhizium anisopliae L., natural oil, KZ oil and yeast mixture, respectively. After 2 days of spray, the percent reduction of aphid population for po­tassium sulfate + detergent treatment was 89.68 %, whereas, it was 82.78, 82.61, 82.31 arid 72.77 % fa natural oil, M. anisopliae, KZ oil and yeast mixture, respectively. After 5 days of spray, the efficacy of tested materials was slightly decreased in comparison with the second days after treatment, further research and evaluation on large scale field trials. The activities of glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), and glu­tamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) enzymes increased in treated aph­ids with all tested materials. On the other hand, the M. anisopliae and KZ oil treated aphid individuals exhibited remarkable decrease in their total protein level, whereas the protein level increased in yeast mixture, potas­sium sulfate and natural oil treated insects.